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LCI 330LCI 418LCI(G)LCI(L)Story Archive

USS LCI(L)330 and USS LCI(G)418

By Charlie Savary, Saturday, 29 Jan 2000

My name is Charlie Savary, I was a “Plank holder” of the LCI L 330 and the last man of the original crew to be rotated back to the states off of her, Our first Combat landing was Rendova Island on JULY 4th 1943 and our last was EMIRAU IS. MARCH 27 or 28, 1944. I have a picture of the LCI(L) 330,328&335 unloading troops on

RENDOVA ISLAND JULY 4,1943, which I am going to forward to you via “SNAIL_MAIL” along with my DD214, I was Rotated back to the states the 23of july 44,I believe from the Russel Is. our last home port, I was 17yrs. old when I went aboard and 19yrs.old when I got rotated,after a 30 day leave, sometime in receiving stations,at Norfork,Little Creak and Solomans Island MD,I went aboard the LCI(L)562 (which had just returned from Europe) We worked with civilians (8 of us, 2) deck gang and 6 black gang. This was at Portsmouth,Va. We rebuilt over the next 3Mos. and turned her over to A Coast Guard Crew. Then on to Charleston S.C. and picked up the LCL(L)418 ,just returned from Europe,wich we spent the winter of 44 in(Stevens Shipyard, So.Jacksonville,Florida,)rebuilding her,in March took her around thru the panama canal to Destroyer base,San Diego,Calif. She was converted to a LCI(G) at the destroyer base. AUG.19,45 Depated for China Service via Honolulu;Buckner bay,Okinawa; Subic Bay, Philipines ,then on to Formosa(Tiawan) Where we unloaded Chinese Nationalist Troops from Liberty Ships ,24Hrs. a day for 6weeks ,before preceeding to the Chinese mainland coast ,We operated from Shanghi up to Chingwangtow,witch included 3 trips to Inchon Korea,repatriating Koreans home.

We were getting the 418 ready to give to the nationalist Chinese When I got rotated back to the states JULY 12,1946 am 74yrs. old now,I was born in E.Wareham Mass an raised there til I left for Naval Service ,3days after I turned 17yrs.old,I was sworn in on (the 6mon. anniversary of Pearl Harbor, June 7,1942 ) At New Bedford ,Mass. and left for boots at Newport R.I. .

Sincerely,
Charlie Savary, E-M

 

One comment
  1. Aaron Washburn

    Hey, do you remember by any chance, when you went aboard the LCI(L) 562 did you run across a Robert E. Link? He served on that ship. He was a GM 2nd class. He was my grandfather. If you may have any pictures of anything from when you were on that ship and willing to share that with me i would be forever greatful. My grandfather was an amazing person. He passed away when i was 5 years old. I never got to hear anything really about his service because of him passing when i was so young, and apparently while he was alive he didn’t talk about the war because of the fact it upset him too much.

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