Receding water levels at Lake Shasta in Northern California have revealed a mysterious discovery: a landing boat from the World War II era.
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest took to social media Sunday to report that the boat, now nicknamed "The Ghost Boat," was assigned to the attack transport USS Monrovia.
How the boat ended up at the bottom of Lake Shasta remains a mystery.
"It really is quite remarkable how it emerged from the lake with so many stories to tell," the forest service wrote in a Facebook post.
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The boat was initially discovered last fall as the lake's water level continued to drop amid a yearslong drought, according to the forest service. When the landing vessel was moved, "31-17" was found painted on the ramp. That linked the boat to the Monrovia.
The Monrovia served as Gen. George S. Patton's headquarters during the invasion of Sicily, according to the forest service. Future President Dwight D. Eisenhower was also on the ship at the time.
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The ship would go on to participate in six D-Day invasions in the Pacific theater and was reportedly involved in the invasion of Tarawa, the forest service said.
The landing craft found resting in the Shasta lakebed will undergo some restoration work, with the goal of preserving as much of the boat's integrity as possible, the forecast service said. Its final resting place is slated to be at a museum in Nebraska.
"There is more to discover of its history and obviously its time on Shasta Lake," the forest service wrote on Facebook.
