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For the Love of a Sub...Galveston's Seawolf Park is home to both the USS Cavalla submarine (retired) and the USS Stewart Destroyer Escort (retired), just part of the Texas Navy inventory. Did you say Texas Navy?


I remember, when my oldest son was but a lad, spending a few warm Sunday afternoons at Galveston's Seawolf Park taking in the gentle Gulf breezes of this great tropical resort and climbing aboard both the retired US Navy sub USS Cavalla and it's sister ship, the destroyer escort, the USS Stewart. They were, and still are, a playground of the grandest kind where, with just a little imagination, both young and old alike can lose themselves in a world of make believe, reliving the colorful history of these gallant war relics.

Both ships are, of course, so much more than static exhibits or rusting relics. They are a piece of US military history, each with its own tales to tell and memories to preserve. They are also ships of the Texas Navy.

"Hey Dad, these ships are part of the Texas Navy, right?" my eldest would ask.

And little did I know at the time, it was true. In fact, there were (are) three Texas Navies, and the Cavalla is just one of the ships that comprise her inventory.

In 1836 when Texas proclaimed its Independence from Mexico, the small nation was immediately faced with invasion, on land and sea by overwhelming forces from Mexico---a power having many times the population and naval and military resources of the infant Republic of Texas. The Army of Texas finally triumphed over its larger and much better equipped foe at San Jacinto but historians now agree that one of the most important elements in that great victory was the brief but furious maritime activity of the first Texas Navy.

The first Texas Navy, consisting of four hastily purchased and minimally equipped small sailing vessels head quartered at Galveston, prevented the Mexican government from landing a second army on the Texas coast.

After the Battle of San Jacinto and the birth of the Texas Republic, the Texas Navy was disbanded. But Mexico once again laid aim at the young Republic in 1839 and the Second Texas Navy was quickly assembled, consisting of six makeshift vessels who served to protect the Texas coastline from a Mexican ground invasion. The Texas Navy harried the Mexican coast from the Rio Grande to the Yucatan for three strenuous years and dominated the Mexican fleet which was largely commanded by mercenary officers on furlough from Britain's Royal Navy.

Keeping the initiative by seizing and raiding and burning Mexican cities and shipping, and making reckless attacks without regard to odds or size of ships, the Texas Navy kept the enemy government on the defensive; too busy trying to protect its own coast to be able to mount a land invasion. In 1845, when the Republic became a U.S. State, the Texas Navy was absorbed by the U.S. Navy.

But in 1958, Texas Governor Price Daniels, in an effort to preserve the rich history of Texas Naval forces, established the Third Texas Navy, and the Texas Naval flag has proudly flown on all U.S. naval ships related to Texas. The Naval ships of the Third Texas Navy include:

USS Texas (BB-35) Flagship of the Texas Navy
Commissioned in 1914, this World War I and II battleship is berthed at the San Jacinto Monument in La Porte, Texas. She was off shore during D-Day and bombarded the coast of France. She proudly flies the Flag of Admiral of the Navy Chester W. Nimitz.

USTS Texas Clipper II
This is the training ship for the Texas A&M University at Galveston Maritime University. During the summers she travels throughout the world on training cruises.

USS San Jacinto (CG-56)
On active duty with the US Navy and fired the first Tomahawk cruise missile of Desert Storm. She was commissioned near the site where the TEXAS is berthed on 23 January 1988. She flies the Texas flag, the Republic of Texas Navy Ensign and the burgee of her namesake that fought in the Second Texas Navy. She is the third ship in the US Navy to bear her name.

Elissa
This barque that was built in 1877 is berthed behind the Seaport Museum in Galveston, Texas. During her sailing days she made the Port of Galveston several times. Tours are available through the museum.

PT-309
This World War II PT boat that served in the Mediterranean during the war is currently in dry dock in Freeport, Texas, before continuing to her final resting place at the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, where she will become a centerpiece in the Museum of the War in the Pacific.

USS Cavalla (SSK-244)
The World War II submarine is berthed at the Seawolf Park in Galveston, Texas. The ship is open to the public and represents a great chance to explore the insides of a World War II submarine.

USS Lexington (CV-16)
This World War II aircraft carrier is moored in Corpus Christi, Texas. It serves as a museum and allows groups of children to spend the night on board to see what service aboard a carrier was like in World War II.

USS Austin (LPD-4)
She also is on active duty with the US Navy and has the same Texas Navy flags as the SAN JACINTO and her burgee of the Flagship AUSTIN of the Second Texas Navy.

USS Stout (DDG-55)
She was commissioned in a rare night time ceremony in Houston, Texas on 13 August 1994 and is currently at sea with the US Navy.

USS Houston
This nuclear powered submarine is the fourth ship to be named for the City of Houston and serves in the US Navy.

USS Dallas (SSN-700)
The DALLAS is another nuclear powered submarine commissioned on 18 June 1981.

USCGC HARRY CALIBORNE (561)
The CLAIBORNE is currently based at the US Coast Guard Station in Galveston, Texas. She is named for a former lighthouse keeper at nearby Bolivar Roads Light House in 1895. The ship was commissioned in 2000 and is a highly capable buoy tender. She is designed and equipped to ably perform other missions, such as search and rescue, marine environmental protection, and maritime law enforcement.

USS NIMITZ (CVN-68)
On 22 June 1968 the keel of the NIMITZ, a nuclear aircraft carrier was laid on Newport News, Virginia. She was commissioned of 3 May 1975 at Norfolk, Virginia. She is named for Texan and Admiral of the Fleet Chester W. Nimitz. In 1991 the NIMITZ relieved the ANGER during OPERATION DESERT STORM. In May of 1998 she began a mid-life refueling overhaul that will allow her to provide our nation with another quarter of a century of service.

USS EISNEHOWER (CVN-69)
This nuclear aircraft carrier is named for General of the Army and President of the United States Dwight David Eisenhower who was also born in Texas. She was christened by his wife Mamie who was also the ship’s sponsor on 11 October 1975 and was commissioned 18 October 1977. She has completed eight Mediterranean deployments. She also served in the Red Sea during OPERATION DESERT STORM being the first carrier to maintain sustained operations there.

USS GONZALES (DDG-66)
This Aegis destroyer was named for Marine Sergeant Alfredo “Freddy” Cantu Gonzalez born in Edinburg, Texas. Among the many medals he won was the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courageous service in Vietnam. She is designed to operate offensively and defensively with carrier groups and amphibious task groups in a multi threat environment.

USS CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI (SSN-705)
This vessel was commissioned 8 January 1983 at the Naval Submarine base in New London, Connecticut. She is the second ship to be named after this coastal Texas city. She is nuclear powered fast attack submarine in the LOS ANGELES Class. Her current Captain is Commander Leonard G. Goff of El Paso, Texas.
CGC GALVESTON ISLAND (WPM-1349)
The GALVESTON ISLAND was commissioned in June of 1992 and is in the ISLAND Class. She currently stationed with the Coast Guard Marinas Section in Guam. Three US Navy cruisers and a revenue cutter have borne the name GALVESTON. She was the last of her Class built.

SS EDWIN W. MOORE
The SS EDWIN W. MOORE was commissioned as a Liberty Ship for the Merchant Marine in World War II at the Todd Shipyards in Houston, Texas in August 1943. Her first Captain, James Quinn, is believed to be a Texan as were most of her crew. She made many crossings with convoys to Europe during the war. She was named for the Commodore of the Second Texas Navy and along with the naming of a Texas county in the panhandle of Texas (Moore County), these are the only tributes that have been made to this brave Texan.

CGC MATAGORA (WPM-1303)
No description available.

USS ORLECK (DD-886)
The USS ORLECK is a monument to the men and women who built her and to those who served aboard her. Commissioned on Sept. 15, 1945, she is the only Gearing Class destroyer to return to its birthplace (Orange, Texas) for use as a museum.

USS HOWARD (DDG-83)
On 20th of October 2001 in a night time ceremony she was commissioned in Galveston, Texas. She was built in Bath, Maine. She is the most powerful and sophisticated Guided Missile Destroyer ever built. She carries two helicopters and her five inch guns can fire a shell sixty miles.

USS SAN ANTONIO (LPD-17)
The keel for this amphibious ship was laid 9 December 2000 and is scheduled to join the fleet in September of 2003. The Second Texas Navy had a ship of the same name that was lost in a hurricane.

PT-305
This World War II PT boat sailed the Mediterranean Sea with PT-309. The all volunteer crew that restored the PT-309 has purchased her sister ship and is beginning her restoration and berthing in the Gulf coast area. The same group that did the fine job of PT-309 has taken on the name Defenders of American Naval Museum Inc. to restore the PT-305.

USS TEXAS (SSN-775)
This nuclear submarine is so new her keel has not even been laid at Newport News, Virginia. She will be in the VIRGINIA Class of submarines. When commissioned, she is scheduled to join the Atlantic Fleet.

The headquarters of the third Texas Navy was returned to its original base at Galveston by Governor Preston Smith in January 1970. A move designed to assure the survival of Texas' Naval history, boundaries, water resources and civil defense of Texas are banded together in the third Texas Navy to help preserve the memory of the sea-bourn valor of those who helped create the Lone Star State.

While many of the ships of the Texas Navy remain on active duty with the U.S. Navy, many are available for viewing at ports across Texas. If you've got a few days to spare, a road trip down the coast will net you the opportunity to visit some of the more historic vessels, and a chance to relive the rich and glorious history of the Texas Navy.

Visit the official TEXAS NAVY website here.
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