Sense Of Duty

- Jason Y. Wood

When I stepped onto the deck of PT-305, I didn’t know where to look first. I was in the National World War II Museum’s Brand new, single-slip boathouse on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. Twenty-odd people were milling around, including uniformed crew, staff and volunteers from the museum, and journalists. There was a lot to see. I took a glance over the starboard side to watch the smoke curling from a hullside exhaust port, then stepped forward to examine the wooden wheel at the helm, then pardon-me’ed my way through the gawkers aftto the 40-millimeter Bofors gun with its wire-frame bulls-eye sights positioned in front of its two crew seats.

On the way aft, of course, I had to take a quick peek down the hatch to see the three vintage Packard M2500 V-12 engines burbling away, while PT-305’s motor macs led by volunteer Jack Wade III, all wearing period-appropriate uniforms of dungarees with blue chambray shirts and sailor caps, plus modern-day hearing protection, were watchful as they went through precruise checks of cooling water flow, and exhaust and oil pressure.

PT-305 was looking good, with a lifeboat on her foredeck, jauntily tied fast over one-half of her charthouse. She was preparing to leave her cozy berth inside the corrugated steel boathouse. PT-305 fairly gleams, all fresh paint with nary a scuff on her gray deck. And she ought to, since she’s fresh out of the box from a 10-year refit and restoration undertaken by the National World War II Museum. With a dedicated staff mobilizing a seemingly irresistible force of volunteers, the museum has advanced its mission from celebrating the accomplishments of D-Day to helping visitors remember and understand the entire war effort.