"USS Texas May Become an Orphan" Topic

I found this report to be very discouraging. After an expensive restoration it appears that no one in the state of Texas wants the USS Texas to 'clutter' their seaside view.

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Jim

You would think this would have been worked on before 60 million dollars was spent. Is the USN silent on the issue?

i'd a thought in Lubbock they'd be glad of any kinda seaside view.

Truly a shame

Can the State step in and deal with the NIMBY and funding issues?

Tow it to NYC, dock it next to the Intrepid…

I'll take her!

El Paso?

79th…the USN has no say so as she was purchased from the USN by the state in 1947 and moved to San Jac in 1948.

The issue simply has to deal with the fact that one seafood place, (Katy's), raised a fuss about the placement of the battleship, claiming that it would block the views of the harbor for their customers.
Their "views" include a shipyard, and a pier where a Carnival Class Cruise Liner sits.
The other issue has to do with the fact that the Galveston Wharf Board of Directors, the Texas Battleship Foundation and the Texas State Wildlife Commission couldn't come up with an acceptable date in the required time to have a meeting about the requirements needed by the state for the ship to be berthed at Pier. TSWC kept pushing the meeting date off until it was too late.
There's a lot of smoky back room politics also going on, if you are familiar with that section of Galveston, and the people on the board.
Galveston truly IS the best place for her. However she can't be at Seawolf park, and the area that they were going for is the best optimum point for her.

Desert Fox. No. She stays in Texas waters.

Murphy, I know the navy doesn't own her, but I figured they might be able to help find a spot for her.

I used to work with the US Navy Memorial ship program. These ships are basically on an indefinite loan from the US government and subject to revocation of the ship if they not properly maintained, displayed, or becomes a hazard. It's a congressionaly mandated program that requires the USN to inspect and review the status of each of the memorial ships annually. So the Navy does have a say in her future. As I recall, her deteriorating condition was of much concern to the Navy and she was in danger of revocation. Good thing she was fixed up and hopefully an appropriate home will be found.

link

Better link to the original: link

You know something, I say too damn bad.

Need to start declaring Emminent Domain actions and get this sh** done.

I am sick and tired of people referring to history as clutter. It's your history, moron, respect it and the fact someone else cluttered their life saving yours.

I'm sure the Russians or Chinese would take her!
Being an upgrade compared to their ships.

The article simply states conclusory reasons as to why she cannot return to San Jacinto. I would like to know the basis for those statements.

Seems rather silly to have spent the money on the overhaul without a definitive plan to locate the ship afterwards.

It definitely seems weird to spend that money without a long term plan, but do people not understand that wherever you dock it people are going to fly in and spend money in your town?

There's already two museum ships on Pelican Island, across the bay from Galveston, Not sure why it didn't end up there (other than the fact that everything is covered with pelican poop).

Negative on the Eminent Domain. You must not be a property owner, and certainly not in Texas. Eminent Domain is draconian to put it nicely. Extremely leftist if I were to tell the truth.

Well the Texas Department of Transportation is a frequent user of Eminent Domain. Rather ruthlessly I might add. They have no ideological issues with it.

Hawaii, New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina never seems to have an issue with their battleships. But Texas seems to always have some issue with BB-35.

Bottom line is the state needs to make this happen. Either move it back to San Jacinto or move it to Seawolf Park. The state is the only entity to have the money and resources to do it.

I think Seawolf Park is the ideal location. But the state will have to commit to maintaining the ship. I am sure the State of Texas does not want to be in the ship preservation business, but there really isn't another option for now.

If the ship is on renewable loan to the State, then technically the Navy can terminate the loan. But this has been a little murky. I understand the State paid to have the ship. If it is anything like the USAF Heritage program which allocates aircraft to museums then the Navy could terminate the loan. But I don't know the exact wording of the agreement.

I have seen similar situations. A museum has had a aircraft in its collection for decades assuming it belongs to them until someone from the Air Force comes to inspect the aircraft to asses it's condition. Surprise! The aircraft still belongs to the Air Force.

If I was the director of a maritime museum, I would be running around with may hair on fire to get this ship.

I love how Old Contemptible has set out the basic facts.

The State of Texas has a history of utter negligence in terms of taking responsibility for this unique, historic ship. (Which deserved a BETTER NAME!!! Given how its namesake has been like a crappy first husband to it. Perhaps a campaign to rename it the OKLAHOMA would see some remedial action?)

This has all been stewing a long time, but I had thought some solution had been worked out by now, and I was very wrong. (Well, I've been out of the state since the COVID year, and this issue is not widely reported within Texas or elsewhere.)

Why can't some advocacy group hold Texas officials' feet to the fire, at least embarrass them a little over this neglect? They are all quick enough to posture and grandstand over immigrant issues.

Historic ships are always a tricky issue. The USS Olympia in Philadelphia has almost been lost to the scrapyard several times for lack of funds but seems reasonably safe now. But just a mile down the river the SS United States has finally lost its battle to stay alive. It's been sitting there rusting for 30 years, but now the money has finally run out and it's due to be towed to Florida and sunk to make an artificial reef. :(