Tanker surfing has been practiced in Texas for the last 50 years. In the 60’s and 70’s, the sport occurred not in open waters like today, but along the shorelines of two islands in Galveston Bay: Redfish Island and Atkinson Island. During this time, ships were less frequent and much smaller, but they still created waves.
Doris Miller, the son of an impoverished sharecropper, was born in McLennan County, Texas. During the Depression, he took the only job that he could find: the Navy. There, in common with all black recruits, he was assigned to the messman branch, making the beds, shining the shoes, and serving the meals of white officers.
The Japanese surrender in World War II occurred on August 14, 1945. On that afternoon, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt took to the streets of New York City to capture the country’s jubilation. He shot the iconic V-J Day in Times Square scene that appeared in Life Magazine and forever became a favorite snapshot of victory.
In a city that is visually dominated by automobiles and freeways, very few Houstonians realize that the reason for their city’s existence and prosperity is the waterway of Buffalo Bayou. Houston truly is “the town which built the port which built the city.” We live at a time when Houstonians are actively developing an appreciation of the bayou upon which their city was founded, an appreciation that can be greatly enhanced by looking at Buffalo Bayou in a historical context.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939 to provide a uniformed volunteer force to support the United States Coast Guard. During World War II, Auxiliarists used their own boats to protect our ports and patrol our coasts from the German submarine threat.
The Texas City disaster occurred on April 16, 1947 in Texas City, Texas and was the worst industrial accident in United States history. The explosion, originating as a fire on the SS Grandcamp that quickly spread, killed 581 people and injured thousands more.
What is the story behind the sea monsters seen on so many early European maps? Their first appearance can be traced back to 10th century mappaemundi and continue through the end of the 1500s. They are depicted in various forms – swimming vigorously, gamboling amid the waves, or attacking ships – and are one of the most visually engaging elements on these maps.
The Highest Degree Tragic; The Sacrifice of the US Asiatic Fleet in the East Indies during World War II.
On December 7, 1941, Japan infamously coordinated an attack of Pearl Harbor. The next day newspapers from all across the country reported that the United States was officially at war. The allied powers ultimately claimed victory, a victory that may have not seemed possible during the first few months of 1942.
This powerful presentation takes place in the throes of the Texas Revolution, as the provisional government of Texas scrambled to put together a naval force to wreak havoc upon the Mexican supply lines. Having first resorted to the use of privateers (state sponsored pirates), Texas was able to borrow money in New Orleans in early 1836, to secure the warships Liberty, Invincible, Independence, and Brutus.
