81R13738 MMS-D
By: Legler H.C.R. No. 124
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, A battleship familiar to countless Texans, the USS
Texas served honorably in World War I and World War II; and
WHEREAS, Built in Newport News, Virginia, the Texas was
launched in 1912 and commissioned two years later; after the United
States entered World War I, the ship was used to train gun crews for
merchant vessels and then assigned a variety of missions in the
North Sea; in 1918, it escorted the German Fleet to its surrender
anchorage, and it subsequently escorted President Woodrow Wilson to
peace talks in France; and
WHEREAS, Designated the flagship of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
in 1940, the Texas escorted Atlantic convoys and provided gunfire
support for the Allied landings in North Africa in 1942; on D-Day,
June 6, 1944, it served as the flagship for the bombardment group
supporting the Allied landing on Omaha Beach; the Texas later
shelled German positions in southern France before being
transferred to the Pacific, where it lent gunfire support and
antiaircraft fire to the landings at Iwo Jima and Okinawa; despite
seeing action in two world wars, the Texas suffered only one combat
casualty, thereby earning the nickname "the Lucky Ship"; and
WHEREAS, In addition to its proud record of naval service,
the Texas boasts a number of historic distinctions; among U.S.
battleships, it was the first to mount antiaircraft guns and the
first to launch an aircraft, and it became the first ship in the
U.S. Navy to use radar; the Texas is registered as a National
Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark;
and
WHEREAS, Three years after the end of World War II, this
venerable ship was given to the State of Texas and transformed into
the first battleship memorial museum in the country; for the past
six decades, the ship has been moored at the San Jacinto
Battleground, where it is operated as a historic site by the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department; a private nonprofit organization,
the Battleship Texas Foundation, provides vital support by raising
funds for restoration, enhancements, and educational efforts; the
Texas was designated the flagship of the Texas Navy in 1948 and the
official State Ship in 1995; and
WHEREAS, This imposing battleship opens a window into crucial
chapters in naval and world history; more important still, it
serves as a monument to freedom and a reminder of the price that has
been paid to preserve it; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby endorse the restoration, conservation, and presentation of
the Battleship Texas at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic
Site in a permanent dry berth, thereby assuring the preservation of
this unique asset and icon of the Lone Star State for future
generations; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward official copies
of this resolution to the commissioners of the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Commission and to the executive director of the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department.