LST 393 Veteran’s Museum Newsletter #1

Welcome to the first issue of the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum Newsletter — your dispatch from the steel decks of one of America’s most storied warships. Whether you're a veteran, a family member, a history buff, or a proud supporter of Muskegon's living legacy, this newsletter is for you. In each issue, we'll bring you real stories of service, behind-the-scenes updates from the ship, upcoming events, and spotlights on the men and women who make this museum more than just metal and memories — they make it matter. We're preserving history with every word, and we're glad you're on this mission with us.

NEW FAMILY TICKET DISCOUNT

Any group of four people visiting the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum can save on admission by purchasing a “family ticket.” The $50 ticket saves a family of two adults and two students $10. Three adults and one student saves $15. One adult and three students save $5.

FROM THE PRESIDENT, RHETT SEASE

By Rhett Sease, President of the Board As president of the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum Board, I am thrilled to welcome Ryan Lancaster as the new museum manager. We know he will do a terrific job. We still mourn the loss of longtime executive director James Flood, who died unexpectedly in May. Jim made many improvements to the museum and kept our D-Day commemoration event going when it looked like it might fade away. He can’t be replaced, but we will continue in his spirit. Ryan has many big plans and is already hard to make the museum an excellent visitor experience. I invite you to come down and see.

GET READY FOR ACTION AT “MOVIES ON DECK”

This will be an action-packed season for “Movies on Deck.” The free film series screened on the top deck of USS LST 393 Veterans Museum on the Muskegon waterfront keeps the theme honoring the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. “Greyhound” will kick off the series on June 27. Tom Hanks stars as the captain of an American destroyer shepherding a convoy at the height of the Battle of the Atlantic, dueling with a Nazi wolfpack. The 2020 film is highly rated but has seen little because it was a cable channel exclusive.’ “Captain America: The First Avenger” will battle supernatural Nazi forces on July 25. The first Marvel Avenger series stars Chris Evans and Samuel L. Jackson from 2011. The Muskegon Area District Library sponsors the showing. The summer wraps up Aug. 15 with the hilarious “1941,” Steven Spielberg’s madcap spoof of the hysteria in Los Angeles immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the 1979 comedy features nonstop wackiness. The movies start at sunset (usually around 10 p.m.). There is no charge, but donations to the museum are welcome. Concessions are sold, and viewers should bring their own seating.

WATCH THE FIREWORKS WITH US

USS LST 393 is the best seat in the house for watching Muskegon's fireworks July 4. Tickets are only $10, the parking is free and you can sit anywhere on the top decks of the historic warship. Tickets can be purchased at the ship's ticket desk before the Fourth of on the night of the display.

HONOR YOUR VETERAN

Families can honor a loved one who have served in the military by arranging for a “Wall of Honor” plaque at USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. All that’s needed is a photograph of the veteran during time of service and a copy of his or her discharge papers, commonly known as a DD-214. The museum also requests a $50 donation because of the cost of plaque production. Your veteran will join hundreds on the “Wall of Honor” and remain on the ship’s bulkhead as long as she’s afloat. Forms can be downloaded here: Wall of Honor Form From the Captain’s Desk: Letter from the Museum Director By Ryan Lancaster, Museum Director Ahoy friends, As I sit in the shadow of this mighty ship, the USS LST 393, I’m reminded daily that this isn’t just a floating hunk of steel — it’s a time capsule, a teacher, and a testament. Every bolt, bunk, and battle scar tells a story worth preserving. And now, through this newsletter, we’re bringing those stories to your inbox. Our mission is simple: preserve the past, engage the present, and inspire the future. But that’s only possible with your invaluable support. As donors, volunteers, veterans, and curious visitors who walk her decks, ask questions, and keep history alive, you’re not just reading about history—you’re helping write its next chapter. We’ve got some inspiring plans ahead. From improving exhibits to launching more community programs, this museum is on the move — not literally (she’s not sailing again anytime soon), but in spirit, she's full steam ahead. We can't wait to share these developments with you. Thanks for being part of the crew. Your involvement is what makes our mission possible. Let’s continue to make history together.

VISIT THE GIFT SHOP

A stop in the ship's gift shop enhances visiting the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. Not only are there unique souvenirs and military-themed toys, but the store also offers a terrific selection of books, memorabilia, posters, and service hats. It’s also the best place to get LST 393 logo clothing, from T-shirts to jackets.

Artifact Spotlight: A Swizzle Stick, a Pregnant Woman, and the Shadow of Kilroy

By Ryan Lancaster, Museum Director

Found among the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum archives, this object is as baffling as it is revealing. A blue plastic swizzle stick, molded with the figure of what appears to be a pregnant woman on one end and inscribed with the iconic phrase “KILROY WAS HERE,” it walks a razor’s edge between humor, absurdity, and something more unsettling.

Drinks, Jokes, and the Things We Don’t Say

At face value, this is a novelty item—barware from an era when cocktail culture collided with the irreverent humor of returning GIs. Swizzle sticks like this flooded American bars and military reunions throughout the late 1940s and 50s, molded in the shapes of women, weapons, animals, or anonymous limbs. They were often humorous, sometimes bawdy, and occasionally grotesque.

But what happens when you look past the plastic?

The figure atop this stick is not a pin-up in the usual sense. She’s rounded, hunched—visibly pregnant. She’s not the classic blonde bombshell of a bomber nose. She’s burdened. Domestic. Almost maternal. And there, running down the side, the phrase:

“KILROY WAS HERE.”

That infamous line was scribbled in latrines, bunker walls, and scorched villages from Normandy to the Philippines. It meant, “We were here first.” It meant, “You’re not alone.” It meant “Someone came through alive.” It also meant someone died.

The Joke That Wasn’t Just a Joke

Why a pregnant woman? Why Kilroy? Why would someone stir their gin and tonic with this strange little blue totem?

Because that’s what soldiers do: they find meaning in the meaningless. They survive horrors with laughter. They channel the unbearable into trinkets, tattoos, and off-color jokes told in smoky bars with people who get it.

Maybe this swizzle stick was made for a veterans’ bar where wives sat beside husbands who hadn’t said anything about what happened in Okinawa. Perhaps it was passed out at a reunion, where the drinks flowed faster than the memories. Or maybe it was meant to mock domesticity: a wink at the post-war pressure to return home, settle down, and forget the things no one wanted to discuss.

Kilroy, Ghost in Plastic

Kilroy was everywhere. But he was also a ghost. A specter of the anonymous soldier, the ones who didn’t come home, and those who did—but never returned.

As silly as it seems, this object is a fragment of that tension—a cheap, mass-produced whisper of all the complicated feelings buried under victory parades and white picket fences.

It is both a relic and a reckoning.

Sponsor an issue of The Hull Truth, the official newsletter of the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. Your business or organization can be featured alongside powerful stories of service, restoration updates, and community events. Contact us directly for pricing and availability — limited slots each month! - You can view the digital copy of Issue #1 HERE

https://mailchi.mp/1edac98386cd/the-hull-truth