Ray Lorah
U.S. Navy, LST 283
Pacific Theater
Tuesday, May 16th
LST Operations at Normandy, Italy and Southern France
By Ray Lorah
"An LST isn't such a glorious ship to look at," wrote Ernie Pyle, the well known newspaper correspondent
of World War II, "It is neither sleek nor fast nor impressively big - no bigger than an ocean freighter -
and yet it is a good ship and the crews aboard the LSTs are proud of them."
Ray Lorah enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served first as a gunner in the armed guard on a merchant ship. He was
later transferred to LST 283 and participated in the invasions at Normandy and Southern France. Some LSTs, including
LST 283, were fitted out as hospital ships with 4 doctors and 40 corpsmen. They attended to both allied and German
wounded for 6 or 7 weeks, transporting them to England.
