U. S. Naval Air Station (Blimp Base)

(Seven-tenths mile south) In an effort to defend U. S. coasts and shipping lanes against German submarine activity during World War II, the U. S. Navy established bases to house huge lighter-than-air (LTA) craft, also known as blimps. With the ability to hover above a target, the blimps were uniquely qualified for coastal defense and observation. Because of its site on the flat Texas coastal plain, Hitchcock was chosen as the location for one of the nine new blimp bases. Construction began in 1942, and the facility was commissioned on May 22, 1943. The resulting military personnel build-up caused an economic boom in the community. The Hitchcock base consisted of forty-seven buildings, including a massive hangar to house six blimps, administration buildings, warehouses, living quarters, and recreational facilities. Aircraft from the base, in addition to their regular patrolling duties, were also used to assist with hurricane relief efforts and war bond drives. In 1944, after the blimps were no longer needed, the Hitchcock base was redesignated for other purposes. Following the war some of the buildings were used by private interests, and after hurricane damage in 1961 the blimp hangar was razed. (1989)

U. S. Naval Air Station (Blimp Base) is a historical marker in Hitchcock, Galveston County, dedicated in 1989. It is one of 283 historical markers documented in Galveston County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 373 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.3580, -95.0444 near Hitchcock. The nearest cataloged historic site is Camp Wallace (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Hitchcock, Opitz Beguin Family, and Grace Memorial.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5167011585. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.