Culture Club – Peninsula Arts & Humanities Alliance

LT-145 (aka John Purves) during WWII.

With the onset of World War II, many Americans found themselves answering their nation’s call to duty. So it was with the Door County Maritime Museum’s tug John Purves (then named Butterfield). Trading her civilian paint scheme for a fresh coat of haze grey, she soon found 20mm canons added to her deck gear and uniform clad sailors prepping her to leave the “sweat water” of the Great Lakes for a return to her roots as a sea-going tugboat. Military orders issued, she headed for the West Coast in the service of the United States Army as LT-145.

When visitors walk the lovingly restored decks of this 90-year-old tug today, it is difficult to imagine her as a warrior. But of course, the same could be said of most WWII veterans. Not unlike countless other aging warriors of that historic conflict, this massive tug rallied to the cause, faced unimaginable dangers, carried out her mission, served her time, celebrated victory, and quietly returned to her former life on the Great Lakes. As more and more of the members of “The Greatest Generation” pass away, artifacts symbolizing their extraordinary service and sacrifice become even more important.

As a self-confessed maritime history geek, I have spent countless enjoyable hours buried in the pages of books chronicling events past and wandering the exhibits and galleries of all manners of museums. In my travels, I have discovered that history can often be most appreciated in the places where things happened. Those who have visited the battlefields of Gettysburg know with great certainty that there is no better spot to gain a perspective on the drama and tragedy of the American Civil War than this hallowed ground. When you stand in one of these very special places, you can “feel the ghosts” of bygone times and sense the memories left behind by those who served. The tug John Purves, aka LT-145, is just such a place.

John Purves today as a museum ship.

Assigned the challenging mission of supplying Army garrisons in the Aleutian Islands, LT-145 and her crew served valiantly throughout the war from 1942 – 1945. Having personally sailed the waters around the Aleutians during my days with the U.S. Coast Guard, I can personally attest to the fact that just getting to and from these rugged little island safely is an accomplishment in itself. Add a determined enemy and the challenges of towing a barge in the open ocean, and it is truly astounding that LT-145/John Purves is still with us! The Discovery Channel’s popular television show The Deadliest Catch provides a weekly glimpse into the perils faced by sailors brave or foolish enough to venture into the waters of the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. When next you watch the show, imagine the constant threat of Japanese warplanes and submarines on top of the nasty, unpredictable weather and monstrous seas.

At war’s end, LT-145 joined countless other veterans of WWII and returned to her civilian life, completing a long and distinguished career on the waters of Great Lakes before becoming our museum ship.

A Historical Naval Ship

The Purves’ wartime service makes the Door County Maritime Museum (DCMM) eligible for “Fleet Membership” in the Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA). Established in 1966, the HNSA provides a forum that enables and encourages organizations managing naval museum ships to exchange ideas, discuss problems, and provide mutual support for each other. It has grown into a global institution and has come to be regarded informally as “the world’s third largest navy.” At the beginning of 2008, fleet members represented 12 nations, 115 organizations, and 175 vessels of all types. The tug John Purves’ biography can be found alongside other naval museum ships on The Historic Naval Ship Association Web site (www.hnsa.org). The DCMM and the John Purves were also featured in a recent edition of the HNSA’s newsletter Anchor Watch.

John Purves with LT-145 “ghosted” in reflection by Doug O’Dell.

The Maritime Museum was able to garner the services of graphic artist Doug O’Dell to create the image of tug John Purves with her wartime LT-145 persona “ghosted” in her reflection. Mr. O’Dell is a Coast Guard veteran and former President of the Coast Guard Tug Association (www.cg-tug.org). He graciously donated his time and talents to create this dramatic image.

When you visit the DCMM next, be sure to include time to enjoy the 40-minute docent-guided tour of the tug John Purves. As you walk her decks and move through her machinery and living spaces, let your imagination listen for the distant echo of the alarm bell calling the crew of LT-145 to battle stations or the faint smell of cordite and the remote rattle of machinegun fire. As you peer from her wheelhouse over the quiet waters of Sturgeon Bay, visualize a howling gale and blinding snow as her bow rises to meet a mountainous sea. Pause to feel the presence and memory of the brave young men who took this sturdy ship to war – for this is truly a place where history was made.