Updated 12/03/09
We need your help in preserving and maintaining the 102 now that the ship is owned by the National Association of the USS LCS(L) 1-130.
The founder of the LCS Association Jeff Jeffers located this LCS in Thailand way back in the early 90's. At first he didn't know that it was his ship that he served aboard as a signalman. For many years he and a committee tried to get it back from the Thai navy but to no avail. Then we put Bill Mason in charge of getting it back and after many years he did accomplish the task. And when he got it back he even found a historical group that would take it and use it as a museum. Bill put in hundreds and hundreds of hours of his own time plus untold thousands of dollars of his own money to do this. He even found a group of men calling themselves ―The Boyz Under the Hood ― to voluntarily assist him in refurbishing the whole interior of the ship. Also, unknown to the Association Bill paid for many months for docking fees for the 102 because the ship had not been turned over to the Mare Island group. Bill did this voluntarily as his contribution to us LCS sailors and the Association. Bill is not asking for any repayment. Bill is one of a kind guy...he is awesome!!! The Association WEB site even refers to Bill as Admiral Mason for all the work he and his wife have done to gain possession of the 102 and bring it back to something close to its original condition. At our last Board meeting the Association took over the docking fees amounting to approx. $1208 per month....and that doesn't include further refurbishment costs for materials etc.
As it turns out, Mare Island is not an appropriate permanent location of the 102. The Association Board is continuing to search for a permanent location that will use the 102 as a historic item and take care of the material that Rob Rielly (the Association Historian) has gathered related to the role that the LCSes played in the history of WWII. Until an acceptable permanent location can be identified, the docking fees must be maintained. Additional funds are also needed to continue the renovation and maintenance of the 102 until its permanent location can be identified and the ship relocated. To send in a donation, click on FORMS, print the 102 Retrieval/Maintenance Donation form and follow the directions.