“USS Texas: The Last Dreadnaught”. The USS Texas can easily be classified as one of, if not the most iconic warship in U.S history. Noted for being the only remaining World War I era dreadnought battleship. Launched in 1912 and commissioned in 1914, the USS Texas was involved in operations off the coast of Mexico, convoys across the Atlantic, the North African Campaign, the Normandy Landing, and gunfire support for the Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Upon it’s decommissioning in 1948, it had earned five battle stars for service in World War II. The ship now sits outside of Houston as a museum, operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife. In recent years the ship has started to show signs of its age and is in desperate need of restoration and preservation. The ship needs to be taken out of the water and dry docked to help preserve the structure yet still be open to the public for tours.

The temporary exhibit on display in the George H.W. Bush Gallery is free to the public and is open 9 am to 5 pm through June 3, 2018. The exhibit is comprised of artifacts from the USS Texas as well as pieces from the museum’s collection that are from the ship. One notable piece is the silver service set that was a gift from the people of Texas. The set cost $10,000 and that money was raised across the state. The set was gifted on November 7, 1914 by Governor Oscar Colquitt while the ship docked at Galveston.