During World War II, Robert von der Osten kept journals from his time in boot camp to the invasions of Sicily, Salerno and Normandy. In the years following the war, Robert continued to add to his collection of war-related materials to one day turn into a book. With every attendance at a US LST Association Annual Convention, at every new book that came out explaining events of WWII in a new way, and every newspaper or magazine article that related in any way to his experience aboard the USS LST-388 during WWII, the collection expanded. It became a never-ending project.
Never-ending, that is, until now
His collection is now a published book, LST 388: A World War II Journal, completed with the help of his youngest daughter, Barbara, in 2017, with a second edition in 2018. Full of dated journal entries, narratives, photos, and maps, this is a personal account of history as it was being made.