Visit to The Battleship Texas
Battleship Texas at her berth in LaPorte, TX Recently, I was driving through Texas on my way to San Antonio and I realized that I was not far from the Battleship Texas State Historic Park. A few taps on the GPS and I was soon headed south towards LaPorte. In case you did not know, this battleship is the last of the WWI era Dreadnought class ships. Built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Virginia, Battleship Texas (BB-35) was launched in 1912 and commissioned in 1914. She not only served in WW I but also in WW II including the landing at Normandy and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In 1948, she was retired and began the process of becoming a museum. The Texas Wildlife and Parks Department now manages her along with monetary support from the Texas Battleship Foundation. When I first arrived at the site, it was easy to tell I was at the right place. BB-35 loomed large at her berth next to the v...