Battleship Texas: Ghosts of the Last Dreadnought

The USS Texas, BB-35, is the last surviving dreadnought to have fought in both World Wars — a genuine survivor that shelled the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and steamed home to become the first battleship memorial in the United States. For decades she rested at the San Jacinto Battleground near La Porte, and that is where her ghost stories were born: crews and visitors telling of a red-haired sailor in an old uniform, white vapor drifting across the decks, and voices echoing in the passageways below. One honest note up front: the ship herself is not currently at San Jacinto — since 2022 she has been under a massive restoration in Galveston, with a new permanent berth designated at Pier 15, and she is expected to reopen there. This short walk honors both places: the historic battleground where she long stood, and the Galveston waterfront where the old dreadnought is being reborn. History first, legend beside it, respect throughout.