OSWEGO — The H. Lee White Maritime Museum, like other museums and businesses, has been closed since Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order directing all nonessential businesses to close statewide on March 22.
That order is in effect until at least May 15. Although the museum is closed, the work of protecting the museum’s assets, particularly its vessels, continues.
Museum volunteers Don Smith and Mike Brown regularly check the vessels, particularly the National Historic Landmark tug, LT-5, one of the few remaining vessels from the WWII invasion of Normandy.
The LT-5 is docked at the west pier near the museum and although secured with numerous lines, is still subject to the rough wind and high waves coming in off the lake. This was a special concern for museum staff and volunteers as high wind and waves battered the south shore of the lake for two straight days.
Brown found on one of his regular checks of the LT-5 that it had lost a key fender in the stormy waters and was hitting the dock wall hard enough to damage both the vessel and the dock.
The LT-5 also had broken one of the numerous lines securing it. While the museum had purchased additional line to secure the vessel, thanks to a donation from a museum supporter, Brown was concerned that there could be further damage to the vessel.
Museum Executive Director, Mercedes Niess immediately notified the Port of Oswego Authority. The Port Authority came to the rescue with an enormous pay loader and Port staff. Along with Brown, they placed two huge tires between the LT-5 and the dock to prevent any further damage.
“This was no small feat,” recounted Niess. “That vessel weighs in excess of 200 tons and with the wind and waves, the action of the Port personnel and our volunteer was heroic.”
The historic LT-5 sailed to Great Britain in February 1944 in anticipation of Operation Overlord, the planned allied invasion of Europe. On June 6, 1944, the LT-5 sailed for Normandy with two barges as part of Operation Mulberry, in support of Overlord. Under fire, the tug ferried supplies to the landing beaches for the next month, in the process shooting down a German fighter aircraft on June 9.
After the war, the LT-5 returned to the United States where it was assigned to the Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From 1946 to 1989, the vessel served the lower Great Lakes region by assisting in the maintenance of harbors and construction projects that included the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s.
The LT-5 has now been largely restored to its original configuration by the museum where it continues to welcome visitors, normally from May through October. Thanks to the teamwork of the Port of Oswego Authority and the H. Lee White Maritime Museum volunteers, the LT-5 will continue to offer tours once the museum reopens.
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