Remarkable piece of World War II history turns up in California's Lake Shasta
Picture: Shasta-Trinity National Forest
A surprising - and mysterious - piece of World War II history has emerged from Lake Shasta as the Californian drought brings to light relics long submerged in the water. Lake Shasta is located in northern California, around four hours' drive north of San Francisco. As the Shasta-Trinity National Forest announced on Sunday, a boat was found in the dried-up lake bed that had probably been hidden for decades. The marking "31-17" on the boat indicates that it is a boat from the USS Monrovia, a ship that was used in both Europe and the Pacific during World War II.
Built in 1942, the USS Monrovia was deployed in the Mediterranean. There she was used by then Lieutenant General George S. Patton and other troops during the Allied invasion of Sicily. After her deployment in Europe, the Monrovia moved to the Pacific and transported marines to the battles for Tarawa, Guam and Okinawa.
The USS Monrovia remained in service throughout the Cold War and was only decommissioned by the US Navy in October 1968 and sold for scrap. One of these pieces of scrap, a landing craft, somehow made it to Northern California. It made one last jaunt on Lake Shasta before sinking, although no one knows when.
Lake Shasta has a historic low water level that made the discovery possible. Lake Shasta is currently at 33 % of its total capacity; it is normally at 59 % at this time of year. It is the largest reservoir in the state.
Source: stars and stripes, Katie Dowd, mfo
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