There is a deep nostalgia to a ship that goes beyond metal and rivets—one that represents a place and people who love it. Fewer ships have as much heritage as the Battleship Texas. She’s not yesterday’s relic; she’s a living legend of perseverance, creativity, and collective commitment to recall the past. Texas history isn’t armor and ammunition—it’s who served aboard her, and who didn’t allow her memory to perish.
Ordered in 1914, the Texas was quickly becoming a source of pride for the United States Navy. Her ten huge 14-inch guns, with which she could shoot targets up to 12 miles, were the epitome of modern naval firepower. In addition to her guns, she was a pioneer—the first American battleship to deploy an airplane into action and the only dreadnought to see action in both wars. Over the years, presidents, athletes, and thousands of sailors from all parts of the nation have trodden her decks.
She saw action in the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea during World War I and went on to participate in the big World War II operations, North Africa, Normandy, Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. She sent only a single man to the enemy—a testament not just to the durability of the ship, but to the professionalism and commitment of those who served her.
After decommissioning in 1948, the Texas became America’s first battleship museum, docked on the San Jacinto Battleground. Although her position was appropriate, the weather and time were their typical wear and tear. Ongoing leaks caused pumps to operate day and night, vacuuming up as many as thousands of gallons of water a minute. What had endured wartime storms now seemed to face the gradual, more insidious threat of deterioration from within.
But the security that came with Texas through combat never departed from her. Before it was apparent she was in peril, strangers appeared. Volunteers, welders, naval historians, and engineers all work with their expertise. One volunteer, David, worked on restoring gun mounts and swapping brass fittings. For him, it was “a meaningful kind of work,” an opportunity to be part of something bigger than himself.
It required a herculean task to restore Texas. Steel in the hundreds of tons was replaced, her original Measure 21 WWII camouflage reinstalled, and decades of deterioration painstakingly repaired. The undertaking required more than 300,000 hours of labor and $75 million, according to those most invested in the project.
Strolling her decks as she was being restored was a nearly surreal experience. Volunteers have likened it to entering a moment in time that had been frozen. Even in her decayed state, the Texas still inspired awe and respect. The camaraderie of her restoration crew reintroduced the solidarity that had once moved her through storms and battles.
The experience wasn’t without controversy. Galveston, Baytown, and Beaumont all competed with each other to be her home, each one putting forth their argument and making the decision far from easy.
In the end, the emphasis was on saving the ship and telling her story to the world. Portioning out Pier 15 in Galveston as her new home wasn’t an ending, but a start—only one that compels visitors to see history with their own eyes, to tread her decks and envision the past that she has lived through.
What distinguishes the Battleship Texas is not so much her war record or the engineering feat of her restoration—it’s the will of the community and volunteers who preserved her. As Battleship Texas Foundation’s Matt Pham says, there is no other location in the state where one can touch a ship that endured both world wars. She’s a state treasure and a testament to what individuals can do if they unite for something worthwhile.
Larger than a ship, the Texas is a floating chunk of our collective heritage. Her survival history attests that history doesn’t just exist in books—it’s in the stuff we can’t quite hold on to. Due to the efforts of those who donated their time, effort, and passion, generations to come won’t simply read about her—but they’ll walk her decks, look out over her prow, and sense the beat of history beneath their feet.