Battleship Texas Foundation

Name: Battleship Texas Foundation
Address: One Riverway Suite 2200, Houston, TX, 77056, US
Telephone: +18328413500

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The official page of the Battleship Texas Foundation. For more information on Battleship Texas, please visit: BATTLESHIPTEXAS.ORG

10/17/2026

Can you feel that? Fall-like temperatures have finally made their way to Galveston Island!

Here aboard Battleship TEXAS, the deck-laying team continues to do an amazing job replacing the ship's wooden deck. Thank you to the Gulf Copper LLC team for getting the ship one step closer to welcoming visitors aboard!

10/16/2026

Yesterday in 1945, USS TEXAS (BB-35) returned to the United States full of servicemembers returning home. October 16, 1945, the story hit the press. While many celebrated their homecoming, the crew of TEXAS prepared to make the journey again at the end of October.

📷:
1. Photo during Magic Carpet collected by Ephriam Dickson
2-4. Newspaper clippings collected by sailor John Robson

10/15/2026

, October 15, 1945, USS TEXAS (BB-35) completed her first “Magic Carpet Ride”! With the Second World War over, it was time for the monumental task of bringing home millions of military personnel – Operation Magic Carpet. On her journey home, TEXAS flew the traditional Homeward Bound Pennant. The pennant was well over 2,000 feet long (one foot for every man aboard), so long it had to be held up with balloons. The pennant reportedly snapped and tore in the wind as TEXAS neared the Port of Los Angeles.

At 1415, the mayor of Long Beach and other officials came aboard to welcome the returning veterans of the Second World War. At 1453, TEXAS was securely moored at berth #229 in San Pedro, California, her first time back in the States since the end of the war. That evening, TEXAS transferred over 200 enlisted and officer passengers ashore for discharge or reassignment, and over 800 more the next day. TEXAS completed three more “Magic Carpet Rides” by the end of the year, her last duty before going into reserves to await becoming the first of our modern generation of museum ships.

📸: TEXAS underway near Los Angeles, California on October 15, 1945. The remains of her Homeward Bound Pennant can be seen tangled at the stern. Courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

10/14/2026

, October 14, 1941, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) was underway to the U.S. Naval Base, Argentia, Newfoundland, from Hampton Roads, Virginia.

While underway, the crews commenced scheduled gun drills and firing tests with the ship's anti-aircraft guns, including the 50 cal., 3"/50 cal. mounts, and recently installed 1.1" mounts. At 1:49 pm, TEXAS would drop anchor, allowing the fires under boilers 1, 3, and 4 to die out while retaining boiler 2 for auxiliary purposes, and secure the main engines by 3:33 pm. Other ships present included the USS ARKANSAS (BB-33), USS WASP (CV-7), and USS NEW YORK (BB-34).

📷: 3/4 rear view of the USS TEXAS (BB-35) in Prentice Bay, Newfoundland. October 14 1941.

10/13/2026

Happy birthday to the United States Navy!

Today, we celebrate the creation of the United States Navy and the generations of sailors who have served since its creation.

Did you know that Battleship TEXAS is the oldest remaining battleship to have served in the United States Navy?

🎥: OLD-TIME BATTLESHIPS, DESTROYERS, & SUBMARINES IN FORMATION AND FIRING GUNS. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

10/12/2026

, October 12, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) rests in dry dock #4, New York Navy Yard, after returning to the United States from service in the European Theater of Operations.

That day, Captain Charles Baker and Rear Admiral Carleton Bryant would pose for a series of photographs next to the German 240mm shell that hit the ship and failed to explode off the coast of Cherbourg, France, on June 25, 1944.

Have you seen the 240mm "dud" during your tour of TEXAS?

📷: RADM. CARLETON F. BRYANT, USN, AND CAPT. CHARLES A. BAKER, USN, ABOARD USS TEXAS(BB-35) NEW YORK NAVY YARD, BROOKLYN, WITH GERMAN 5.6" PROJECTILE WHICH PENETRATED SHIP OFF CHERBOURG, BUT FAILED TO EXPLODE. 12 OCT. 1944.

10/11/2026

, October 11, 1945, Texas Governor Coke Stevenson received a letter from Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal offering USS TEXAS (BB-35) to the State of the Texas to become a “historic relic”.

“My dear Governor Stevenson:

The U.S.S. TEXAS, having fought on both sides of the world has come to the end of her usefulness as a fighting ship and is on our list of those to be scrapped.

…

Representative Albert Thomas has suggested to me that the State of Texas might like to acquire the old battleship to keep as an historic relic in the channel alongside the San Jacinto Battleground.” -James Forrestal, writing October 8, 1945

In September 1945, several of Texas’s congressional representatives (including the future president Lyndon B. Johnson) and Governor Stevenson began talking with Navy officials about a plan to bring the battleship to Texas, to be moored at the San Jacinto Battleground as a memorial. This basic plan is ultimately what happened in 1948. In the meantime, there were still major obstacles ahead. Secretary Forrestal had already identified a big one in his letter, funding.

“The [Houston Ship Channel] is deep enough to accommodate [U.S.S. TEXAS], although it should be understood that the Federal Government could assume no financial responsibility for berthing site or upkeep.” -James Forrestal, writing October 8, 1945

Over the next three years, the details were ironed out, legislation was passed at the federal and state level to facilitate donating the ship, and money was raised to bring the ship to Texas.

📸: Letter from Secretary Forrestal to Governor Stevens. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

10/10/2026

to the early museum life of Battleship TEXAS! When was the first time you stepped aboard, and what do you remember the most?

📷: Photograph of the mast and guns on U.S.S. Texas, with a man standing next to large chains on the deck. Courtesy of The Portal to Texas History and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

10/08/2026

, October 8, 1917, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) rests in dry dock #4, New York Navy Yard, undergoing repairs.

On September 28, 1917, the ship ran aground off Block Island while underway from the New York Navy Yard to Port Washington, in preparation for overseas deployment to join the British Grand Fleet in World War I.

The damage from the incident necessitated that the ship return to the Navy Yard and be placed in a dry dock for repairs, ultimately delaying TEXAS and her crew from joining the Great War until early 1918.

📷: Damage to the hull of the USS TEXAS after running aground in September 1917. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

10/07/2026

Chief Turret Captain Taylor Paul Gonzales (left) was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana in 1911. He enlisted in the Navy on October 15, 1928. January 23, 1939, he was transferred from USS ROPER (DD-147) to USS TEXAS (BB-35). He reported aboard as a Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class and worked his way to Chief Gunner’s Mate by 1942. Shortly after Operation Torch in November 1942, he changed ratings to Chief Turret Captain. In this role, he was the senior enlisted man in 3rd Division, and he was directly in charge of about 60 men and most of the operations of Turret #3 (the midship turret). Unlike the other four turret captains onboard, he had the extra responsibility of the aircraft catapult. Because of this, he developed a close working relationship with the ship’s Aviation Detachment, who helped train him on that aspect of his job.

Gonzales served onboard TEXAS throughout the entire Second World War, almost all of it as Turret #3’s turret captain. Most enlisted men will be reassigned every one or two years, but Gonzales served on TEXAS for seven years in total. This meant that Gonzales carried forward important skills and knowledge that would otherwise be lost.

In 1946, TEXAS went into reserves and Gonzales was transferred to USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41, later AG-128) in July to oversee training of gun crews for major caliber turrets. Gonzales retired from the Navy in 1954 and passed away in 1972 at the age of 61.

📸: Gonzales (left) with an unknown officer (right) resting on a vent next to turret #3 on TEXAS in 1945. Both men are smoking and Gonzales has a coffee mug resting on the turret watershed behind him. Parts of the aircraft catapult are visible above them. Courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Address

One Riverway Suite 2200
Houston, TX
77056

Telephone

+18328413500

Website

http://battleshiptexas.org/

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