Hello, and welcome to my website: www.mikebotula.com. 

I’m very excited about a new feature that is being added to this website – a special section devoted to a U.S. Navy ship that saw action in both the European and Pacific during World War 2 – the Tank Landing Ship LST 920. It has special meaning for me because my father, Lt. Charles Botula, Jr., served aboard her as the ship’s Executive Officer during 1944 and 1945. The LST 920 first saw action on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and, later took part in the invasion of Okinawa in the Pacific.

I began researching the history of the LST 920 and my dad’s WW2 service back in 2003. Along the way, I talked with a number of the surviving officers and crew members of both the LST 920 and its sister ship, the ill-fated LST 921.  Along the way, I met up with Larry Biggio, a veteran of the LST 920. Larry was able to provide me some valuable memories of my father, who died in 1965. He also introduced me to the commemorative web site that he had developed with much love and devotion over the years. Just before Christmas 2011, Larry contacted me with the news that he was retiring and would no longer be able to manage his labor of love. He asked me if I would be willing to take on the task. I agreed instantly. I reminded him that I had been present, along with my mother, at the ship’s commissioning in June, 1944 and I would be proud to keep the memory of the ship and its crew alive for its veterans and family and the many history buffs who study World War 2.

LST stands for Landing Ship Tank, but it’s frequently referred to by the men who served on LSTs as “large, slow targets.” 1050 of them were commissioned during World War 2, and they served a vital role in supporting the allied invasions in Europe and the Pacific.

My original article about the LST 920 remains, but now we have a wonderful, new resource about the ship and its crew, thanks to Larry Biggio. Enjoy your retirement, Larry. I wish you fair winds and traveling seas.

Regards,

Mike Botula

Contact: mikebo@mikebotula.com or (916) 835-4485

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