At the Prairie Shipyard in Seneca, Illinois, 27,000 employees of the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company constructed 157 Landing Ship Tanks and ARLs from 1942 until the end of World War II. Members of the Navy and Coast Guard served on these vessels in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. During World War II, hundreds of thousands of military personnel sailed on LSTs, making invasions possible in Africa, Europe, and islands of the South Pacific. Their valiant effort landing on fortified beaches helped bring victory in World War II and preserve freedom in the United States of America.