Welcome aboard USS LST 393
Walk where heroes walked, right in downtown Muskegon! History jumps out at you from every deck and every corner. Discover LST 393's outstanding wartime record as you tour a nationally renowned veterans museum with artifacts and displays honoring those who served America and fought for the freedoms we enjoy today.
THE MUSEUM IS NOW CLOSED FOR THE 2024 TOUR SEASON. IT WILL REOPEN FOR TOURS APRIL 26, 2025.
Museum's 'Founding Father' Remembered
Dan Weikel, a founding father of USS LST 393 Veterans Museum, spent a lifetime learning, creating, volunteering and making friends. Muskegon will miss his "can do" spirit.
Daniel Macauley Weikel, age 87, passed away on Friday, August 30, 2024 in Spring Lake, Michigan.
As a young man, he sought out and received the finest training and education, first as an Army airborne Special Forces trooper and then as a student at Purdue and Harvard. He held onto the passion of lifelong learning, educating himself on topics as varied as mechanics, wood carving, candy making and bee keeping.
A particular fascination was history, and one of his hallmark achievements was spearheading the creation of USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. He and a small group of colleagues in 2005 began the herculean task of turning a shoreline eyesore back into the historic World War II warship it had once been. Many of the museum artifacts are from his own vast collection of militaria. His work with the LST garnered national awards.
Dan insisted the museum honor veterans. He served on the Muskegon Memorial Day parade committee and American Legion boards. Dan volunteered for many causes, especially ones that benefitted veterans.
Later in life, he earned a master's degree in military history. He lectured frequently on history topics and led travel groups on tours to historical sites like Washington, D.C., and Gettysburg.
He had a distinguished career with GE Aerospace, and was also interested in sport aviation. He was a director of the Muskegon Air Fair had a private pilot's license. He also performed 1,100 parachute jumps, most for sport but many as a member of the 82nd Airborne. It's why he said he had a years-long relationship with podiatrists.
Dan was a great supporter of the arts, enjoying symphony music, theater and the NBC book club. He also got involved in hands-on art like stained glass creations and wood carving. He also spent many hours antiquing, looking for treasures from the past.
Often called a "renaissance man," he learned to be a gourmet chef and made the family kitchen his special place. He also made candy and produced honey from his hives of bees, sharing them as holiday gifts. A lifelong outdoorsman, he was a member of Ducks Unlimited because he believed in preservation of habitat.
But despite his cultivated taste buds, some of his favorite times were with his friends at Mr. Quick's and Russ's for breakfast. Those are among the places Dan's gruff sense of humor and infectious laugh will be missed by his many friends, who viewed him as kind and generous.
He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on June 29, 1937 to Hervey and Isabelle (Harrison) Weikel. He graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Harvard University with a business degree, and American Military University with a Master of Military History.
On October 22, 1977, Dan married his beloved, the former Barbara Weston, in Spring Lake, Michigan and she survives him along with his daughters, Melissa (Bryan) Arneson and Danielle (Art) Perry and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.
A CELEBRATION OF DAN'S LIFE will be held in the spring and will be announced at a later date. Donations in his memory may be directed to the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum or Muskegon County Department of Veteran Affairs.
Arrangements by The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444
Get LST 393 gear online!
You can now order your USS LST 393 apparel online. Just click on the link and you can choose from a number of shirts, jackets and even an LST 393 hat. Your items can be shipped to you for a small fee or you can pick them up in downtown Muskegon.
Support USS LST 393
Contribute to the preservation of USS LST 393.
You can now make a donation to the LST 393 Veterans Museum with any major credit card using our secure Paypal payment form.
Upcoming Events
View all events-
LST 393 Events Calendar
Your source for the latest information on special events aboard the LST 393… Read more »
-
Visit LST 393
History will come alive for you as you take a fascinating tour of this historic ship … Read more »
-
America’s LSTs go to war
Read more about LST 393’s war record and the importance of LSTs in World War II … Read more »
Latest News
He was a retired Navy LST officer who wanted one last tour around a Landing Ship Tank’s bridge. He made it. Almost. Mathias Joseph Wey became a rarity... Read more »
Detroit Free Press - Ship that landed on D-Day, then hauled autos, now a museum in Muskegon Read more »
View all news-
Gifts and Souvenirs
Take home a unique souvenir from the gift shop … Read more »
-
Make History on LST 393
LST 393 is a unique and historic facility ready to host your next social, corporate, or special event … Read more »
-
Have a Question?
Contact the museum curator or ask a question about an upcoming visit to LST 393 … Read more »
Trip Advisor Reviews
-
This is a must see - I loved touring this ship and climbing all over its decks... So many interesting things to see on this ship...
Read more » -
Historic Warship - Visited the LST after Independence Day. Remarkable boat, very interesting history....
Read more » -
Muskegon ships of history - Every time I go to Muskegon I take a trip in nautical history. The LST393 is a WWII landing ship in excellent show condition... and the folks that run it are super nice. Great tour...
Read more » -
A Must Visit if you're in the area - We toured the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum for about an hour plus and found it to be time very well spent. This LST is a bit of American history not to be overlooked...
Read more » -
Very Cool Ship with Lots of History! - She won battle stars for her service in the occupation of Sicily, the invasion of Salerno, and the D-day invasion at Normandy...
Read more »