The U.S. Army ST-479 “Tiger” now sits on the St. Johns River, just a mile from where it was built in 1944 at the American Machinery Corporation (AMC) on Lake Beresford. AMC built 29 such vessels for World War II service, and while many have been lost to history, the Tiger serves as a testament to DeLand’s role in the war effort.
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More than a decade ago, Dan Friend, the president of the DeLand Historic Trust, became aware of the boat’s existence in Stockholm, Sweden, and launched an effort to bring the Tiger home. The tugboat made the long trek across the Atlantic Ocean in the summer of 2022 and returned to DeLand in July 2023.
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Now Friend is searching for a permanent home for the storied vessel.