LST 393 Veterans Museum

One of only two surviving WWII tank landing ships, used in the D-Day invasion

The LST 393 is moored alongside the Silversides on the Muskegon waterfront and is one of only two surviving examples of the Landing Ship Tank class that was crucial to almost every Allied amphibious operation of World War II. These flat-bottomed ships could run directly onto a beach, drop their bow doors, and drive vehicles straight off — tanks, jeeps, trucks — without a dock or pier. The design was unglamorous and the ships were not fast, but they made every major Allied landing possible.

Tours of the LST 393 walk through the main vehicle deck (still large enough to hold tanks), the crew quarters, and the bridge. The museum documents both the ship's wartime service and her subsequent civilian career on the Great Lakes. A worthwhile companion to the Silversides next door; allow about 45 minutes for each vessel.

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LST 393 transported tanks, troops, and supplies during the Allied landings in Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio before crossing the Atlantic to participate in the D-Day landings at Normandy on 6 June 1944. She ran directly onto the beaches to unload, which is exactly what LSTs were designed to do. After the war she was converted to a Great Lakes automobile carrier, and her postwar commercial life is documented onboard alongside the combat history.

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