Anybody here serve aboard the USS Lenawee?

 

Another gator sailor..... I've been in Lenawee county, but not the ship.

 

I was cleaning out my storage unit today and ran across an old Zippo type lighter that says USS Lenawee APA-195. The brand is Penguin and the model number ( which I suspect is also the date) is 1953-1. If anyone here served on the ship and would like it I'd be happy to send it to you. Thought that someone that served on the ship might like to have it.

 

Some people are just too nice.

If it were me, I'd have it hawked on eBay within a week...

You people and your altrustic behaviour...

 

You got me curious.......

http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/amphib/apa195.htm

 

That's the old girl. She served in ww2, Korea, and Nam. Heres a pic of the lighter. It's well used. The hinge is worn out and the top won't stay closed. The flint screw and spring is missing. I've had it knocking around for about 20 years or so and never tried to repair it. The back of the case had a hole and someone repaired it with solder. I'd like to see someone that served on that ship get it... it might mean something to them.

 

Nice. Little before my career.

 

Spunbearing, I'm going to pm you with an email address for one of my retired shift sgts. He's retired Navy and probably would be able to find someone.

 

Those old Zippos are guaranteed for life. Send it to the factory and they will fix it up good as new.

I still got mine from my WESTPAC tour during the Nam thing. Got mine in PI after a night on the town (Olongapo!) I didn't even smoke, just thought it would look cool for the grandkids to find someday.

 

Good looking old girl !!!

I thought it was strange that she was commisioned in '44 and decom'd only 2 years later.

That ship was built the year before my first ship .... definately showed their age.

Good luck finding someone from that boat .... they would probably be pretty ooooolllllldddd by now.

PISTOL

 

Decom'd in 46? The info that I looked up said that she served in WW2,Korea, and Nam. Hmmmmm

 

Reading Ed's link, the boats been decommissioned and recommissioned a couple times.

Berthed in California in the reserve fleet, so theoritically, could be recommissioned again.


phox

 

Ahhhhhh ok gotcha

 

If she's been in the bone yard that long ... she isn't coming back (at least not in the US Navy. We may still sell her to some 3rd world country ... there are lots of our old frigates and auxillary ships still sailing around overseas under a different flag. More than likely they will clean her up of all PCB's and sink her to make a ecological reef for the fishermen and divers to enjoy.
Maybe test out some new torpedo .... makes for an "earth shattering kaboom !!!".


My first ship (USS Conserver ARS-39) was so old that when we would take measurements in certain tanks to see how much water was in there .... the brass headed weight on our measuring tape actually poked a hole in the hull of the ship !!! Needless to say, the water level was a little higher the next hour . We fixed her and towed 3 decommed submarines across the Pacific to Bremerton, Washington and Panama before we retired her for good. She is still in the bone yard in Hawaii to this day patiently waiting for her final trip to the bottom . That was one of the ships employed to tow the test ships used for testing at Bikini Atoll. Neat part of Naval History !!

PISTOL

 

Just did a quick check on www.Military.com for that ship ... here is one guy that was on the old girl.
http://www.military.com/Groups/Membe...696352,00.html

Might find more if you keep looking.

PISTOL