Description:

Lifebuoy From Naval Ship LST-354 Assigned to Assault on Iwo Jima

A life preserver from the naval ship LST-354, 16.5" diameter, 2" depth, ca. 1942. Painted white with black lettering that reads "L. S. T." at top and "3 5 4" at bottom. Intact rope. Hanging wire at back. Some soiling and abrasions. In very good condition.

LST-354 was laid down on July 15, 1942 at the Charleston Navy Yard and launched on October 13, 1942. During World War II, she was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in several operations, including the capture and occupation of Saipan, the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima and the assault and occupation of Okinawa. She earned six battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for her WWII service. She was decommissioned on April 30, 1946, struck from the Navy list in 1946, and scrapped a year later.

An LST, or tank landing ship, is a naval ship specially designed to transport and deploy troops, vehicles, and supplies onto foreign shores for the conduct of offensive military operations. LSTs were designed during World War II to disembark military forces without the use of dock facilities or the various cranes and lifts necessary to unload merchant ships. They gave the Allies the ability to conduct amphibious invasions at any location on a foreign shore that had a gradually sloped beach. This ability permitted the Allies to assault poorly defended sectors, thereby achieving operational surprise and, in some cases, even tactical surprise.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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October 18, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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