Historic PT Boat Arrives At New Homeport

Roughly 100 people were on hand to clap, cheer and wave American flags August 12 as the 95-foot PTF-26 made a slow turn into its new homeport at the marina in Golconda, Ill.

The 56-year-old boat served in the Vietnam War and is the last of the 841 fast patrol boats built by the U.S. Navy, so it is known as “the last American PT boat.” Only nine PT boats remain, and PTF-26 is one of only two that remain operational. PTF-26’s primary mission will be providing “hands-on” shipboard training opportunities for youth, including those enrolled in Sea Scout, Sea Cadet and NJROTC units throughout the Midwest. Additionally, the Rev. Kempton Baldridge, managing director of the Maritime Pastoral Training Foundation (MPTF), which owns the boat, hopes that PTF-26 will help focus attention on the essential roles played by U.S. merchant mariners, especially on the inland waterways.

“She’s got a mission every bit as important, preparing the next generation of American mariners and American leaders,” Baldridge said.

MPTF learned of the boat’s availability in fall 2016 and took title to it in March 2020, but the foundation encountered years of delays in relocating it. Ultimately, MPTF worked with an all-volunteer crew to bring the boat from Morro Bay, Calif., to Ensenada, Mexico, in December last year. It was then hauled aboard the mv. BBC Michigan as deck freight through the Panama Canal and on to Port Everglades, Fla. From there PTF-26 traveled under its own power to Palm Beach and Fort Myers, Fla., then to Mobile, Ala., Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River, and finally to Golconda.

“There were so many trials and tribulations on this journey,” Capt. Gary Fischmann said, from COVID-19-related travel delays to mechanical issues, waiting months for the Demopolis Lock to reopen after a miter sill failure and then, toward the end, crewmembers who were flying in from all over the country being stuck in two different airports for days following an airline software failure.

“Everyone was telling us we were insane, that it couldn’t be done,” Fischmann said.

He added that it wasn’t until the last 30 minutes or so before PTF-26’s arrival in Golconda that he let himself believe it was really going to happen. Tapping his fist against his chest, he talked about how the feeling was “a hit in your heart, a joyous kind of celebration feeling.”

Once the engines were off and two lines thrown over the side to secure the historic vessel to the spud barge, the crew high-fived and hugged.

At various points on the long trip, every single crewman made mission-critical repairs, from fixing fuel, oil or water lines to dealing with previously incorrect repairs to an engine cooling system and related steering issues, Fischmann said.

Besides Fischmann, crew members included: Co-Capt. Matthew Komara; Chief Engineer 1 Aaron Cotton; Relief Capt. Lewis Beans; Chief Engineer 2 Michael Klapka; pilot/navigator Capt. Toby Spahr (U.S. Navy retired); mate/boatswain Myron Allen Jr.; deck boss Wesley Beans; and trainees Sam Jones and Menno Eckert, who are both Pope County Community High School seniors in the agricultural mechanics program.

After tying up to a spud barge at the Golconda Marina, local VFW and American Legion posts welcomed PTF-26, with Girl Scouts and 4-H troops leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Baldridge offering prayers of gratitude and blessing the vessel and its crew. Illinois Rep. Patrick Windhorst offered remarks, along with Amy Oxford, district staff representative for Illinois Sen. Dale Fowler. Windhorst spoke about the dedication and hard work of those who sought to preserve PTF-26’s history while guiding the vessel to its new home and new mission. Oxford called PTF-26 a living artifact as it continues to train youth, as well as a tangible link to maritime history.

Fowler later said in a statement posted on social media, “The docking of this PT boat right here in southern Illinois is a profound honor. It transforms this waterfront into a living museum, a place where generations to come can experience the thrill, the danger and the sacrifice of those who served. This PT boat is more than just a historical exhibit. It’s a symbol of character.”

Fischmann said the size of the crowd and its enthusiasm was wonderful to see.

“This town gets it,” he said. “We love this vessel. We say she gets into your soul. She gets into your blood.”