Simviation Forum - Odd memorial

Oct 31^st, 2007 at 7:59am

Hagar Offline
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Spotted on a local roundabout during my travels yesterday.

It's a genuine WWII Higgins LCM. I was told it appeared a couple of weeks ago & was used in the film "Saving Private Ryan". A quick search on Google turned up this information. Quote:

Along with designing the well-known LCVP, Higgins Industries also saw to the design and construction of the LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized), a boat capable of carrying a medium tank. Work began on the LCM in May of 1941, and a prototype was delivered a year later. 486 LCMs were used during Operation Overlord.

The two LCMs used for Saving Private Ryan (standing in for the proper British LCAs) were originally found at the Boston Boatyard in Oreston, Plymouth, England. The aging landing craft required numerous modifications by James Wakefield to return them to their proper World War II era appearance.

The LCMs were designated as PA30-10 and PA30-11, numbers which indicate that these landing craft were from U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson (APA-30). Although Thomas Jefferson did participate in Operation Overlord, the 2nd Ranger units on D-Day were actually transported aboard H.M.S. Prince Charles, H.M.S. Ben Machree and H.M.S. Amsterdam, which explains why they went to shore in British LCAs and not American LCVPs.
http://www.sproe.com/l/lcm.html

It's been put there by the County Council to reflect Shoreham's maritime history. http://www.shorehamherald.co.uk/shoreham-news?articleid=3181623
Not as daft as it might appear. Shoreham was one of the embarkation ports for the D-Day invasion in 1944. This roundabout is sited where a lot of the invasion force was billeted. Mainly Canadian forces I believe. The harbour is about a mile south of here.

A nice idea but I wonder how long before it's covered in graffiti. Roll Eyes

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Reply #1 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 8:57am

ozzy72 Offline
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That is different Shocked

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Reply #2 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 11:37am

Romulus111VADT Offline
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I pray it gets the respect it deserves and not treated like similar memorials are in the US.

At a local Vietnam Memorial, several young punks were seen pissing on the memorial. One climbed the berm and crapped down the front of it. Several vets tried to beat the hell out of them. I being one of them offered a circumcision with my machete that I'd kept from Vietnam.

Unfortunately, the local police protected them. Little was done to them other than forcing them to clean the entire memorial and making their parents pay a $10,000.00 fine. The judge said if it were in his power, he would have fined the boys a dollar for each of the 58,208 names that are on the wall in Washington. But the local one listed only 10,000 men from my state that died.

The judge did comment on the incredible disrespect and stupidity of their actions in light of the fact that there was a Veterans Day Memorial Service that had just finished a few hours beforehand. Apparently they thought everyone was gone and much to their horror. They discovered that there were about 50 Vets still hanging around. That and about a dozen Sheriff Deputies....lmao

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Reply #3 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 12:05pm

beaky Offline
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I like the Higgins as a memorial... that humble craft was very important.

Too bad these memorial vandals don't get it. Roll Eyes

Whatever one thinks of a given war or war in general, these installations are not intended to glorify war- they're intended to honor the sacrifice of those who were willing to lay their lives down for their country.

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Reply #4 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 1:52pm

C Offline
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Hagar wrote on Oct 31^st, 2007 at 7:59am:

A nice idea but I wonder how long before it's covered in graffiti. Roll Eyes

Sadly that was my first thought, much as a wonderful gesture it is.

Hopefully it will be no worse than has appeared on some of the tanks in Normandy...

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Reply #5 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 2:51pm

Omag 2.0 Offline
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Talk about a historical piece... it has played such an important role in the world's history. Let's hope people will respect it.

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Reply #6 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 3:47pm

BigTruck Offline
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I agree with all of you, it's a shame people get some sort of joy out of defacing these remaining memories of people who were willing to give all. Thanks for sharing the pic!

...and Romulous, sure wish I coulda got a jab or two in on those kids, little #*%@#'s!! Woulda been worth doing a little jail time in my own opinion...lol

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Reply #7 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 3:49pm

Willit Run Offline
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Just put mines around it!!! It will teach those spray paint happy @#*&%$!!! Wink

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Reply #8 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 4:04pm

Hagar Offline
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I don't think the yobbos around here have the brains to realise what it is. That wouldn't worry them anyway. To them it's an ideal canvas for their inane scribblng.

Some of you might remember the photo I posted last year of the Worthing War Memorial being defaced with swastikas just in time for the Armistice Day parade. Now that was probably done deliberately & not as an act of mindless vandalism by bored yobs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/6140912.stm

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Reply #9 - Oct 31^st, 2007 at 4:34pm

Romulus111VADT Offline
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BigTruck wrote on Oct 31^st, 2007 at 3:47pm:

I agree with all of you, it's a shame people get some sort of joy out of defacing these remaining memories of people who were willing to give all. Thanks for sharing the pic!

...and Romulous, sure wish I coulda got a jab or two in on those kids, little #*%@#'s!! Woulda been worth doing a little jail time in my own opinion...lol

This site has pictures of the memorial- http://grunt.space.swri.edu/ncpics.htm

Apparently the memorial is dedicated to 216,000 NC soldiers that served and 1,620 Vietnam soldiers that died during the war. It was dedicated in 1991. I was there in 1999 during the Memorial Day observances.

So apparently the judge really put the screws to the parents and fined them $6.18 for each name on the wall.... Shocked

. Good thing it wasn't 10,000. I misunderstood the judges comments, ya gotta love old age.

"I have a place where dreams are born, And time is never planned. It’s not on any chart, You must find it with your heart."

Albert Einstein - "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."

Martin Luther King Jr. - “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - “There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.”

Mark Twain - “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

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Reply #10 - Nov 2^nd, 2007 at 4:12am

Keep It Simple Offline
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I didn't think any original Higgins still survived.
They were simple, expendable wooden boats, designed just well enough to make just one beach landing before being abandoned.

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Reply #11 - Nov 2^nd, 2007 at 8:36pm

Jared Offline
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