Well, it’s September, and we’re still a month away from talking about spooky stuff. I hope we can cross the finish line and not see Jim Cantore rolling down my street with his goggles on. Just in case, my strategic cans of spaghetti reserves are well stocked.
This week I was listening to the Bayoulands TALKS podcast. It’s produced by Shannon Harris and Jason Miller for KVLU public radio, and it’s yet another excellent local podcast you should consume. One episode in particular that I enjoyed was the Penny Clark episode. Penny is the author of Beaumont’s Civil Air Patrol in World War II, which came out last year and is another book I can spend hours on just looking at the photos. Her knowledge of the subject, evidenced both in her book and her extra stories on the podcast, is another good resource of our history. I’ll leave a link to the book Penny made and the podcast at the bottom of this blog.
It also made me think back to how Marine Aircraft Group 93 (MAG-93) would train its pilots for dive bombing targets in the Gulf of Mexico for a short time. MAG-93 began in April 1944 at Cherry Point, North Carolina. Its first squadron was commissioned on April 15th under the command of Major John L. Dexter and was known as Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 931. Other squadrons, such as VMSB-932, would also be commissioned into MAG-93 and spend countless hours (round the clock for a brief time) in training centered at Jefferson County Airport (now Jack Brooks Regional Airport). There are some interesting stories about all of this, but there are some tragic ones too. I’ll leave a link to their history at the bottom of this blog.
I don’t want to talk about tropical stuff, but I guess I’ll throw this in because it’s relevant. In July of 1943, our area experienced a storm of a tropical nature, but since there were still German U-boats in the area, the government “forgot” to warn the coastal cities of the storm. As usual, storms cause deaths. Actually, the government hid the information, which I can understand a bit, but they treated this like they treated paying the Civil Air Patrol. (Listen to the podcast.) “Oops, forgot, catch you next week.” I’ll link to NOAA’s weather site for the whole story of the “surprise storm.” The main reason for not warning the coastal cities was that they didn’t want the U-boats to find out if the refineries were damaged or shut down in a weather event. I’ll let you ponder whether this was a good idea or a bad idea.
Well, the USS Texas has left its home for a 35-million-dollar makeover. (Don’t worry, Beaumont, you don’t have to pay for it.) The last of the World War I battleships is currently in dry dock getting a makeover in Galveston. The repairs will take a year, and she doesn’t know where her home will be afterward. A few cities are interested in hosting the old girl, but at this time, it’s early days. I live in Grigsby’s Bluff, under the Oaks, on ye olde Block Farm, and would love for it to be moored in that city north of me. But some think (who don’t even live in that city) that it shouldn’t be there. I’ll admit that Beaumont has a giant fire hydrant, paid for by Walt Disney, and it’s pretty interesting. Still, I’d rather spend my volunteer time and money on something actually worth remembering—something that means something that matters. I believe the Battleship Texas Foundation is looking for a city to pay to have it moored and a place for their gift shop. The foundation will cover all other expenses. It’s your call, Beaumont. My opinion doesn’t matter in y’alls business.
If, by some miracle, the USS Texas makes her home in Beaumont for all to see as they drive across the Purple Heart Bridge along Interstate 10, then my time and money will be spent to support this old girl for the next 107 years of her existence Even if it’s swabbing the decks while I hum a few bars of “Rabauru kaigun kōkū-tai” (google it) to generate some paranormal activity, I’m in. Her history deserves it.
As I stated last week, the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour II will be on Thursday, October 20, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All are welcome, and the tour is free to all. It’s a history tour of past residents and their lives in the area. Some achieved great things, while others just lived interesting lives. We love them all and want to tell their stories.
Well, happy September, and looking forward to October. Not much humidity in October. Let’s all get thru this month safe and sound.
Bayoulands Talks:
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/970687057/bayoulands-t-a-l-k-s
Beaumont’s Civil Air Patrol in World War II by Penny Clark
https://www.amazon.com/Beaumonts-Civil-Patrol-Images-Aviation/dp/1467106208
Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 931 (VMSB-931):
https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2019/11/18/marine-scout-bomber-squadron-931-vmsb-931/
The 1943 “Surprise” Hurricane:
https://www.weather.gov/hgx/projects_1943surprisehurricane
USS Texas links:
Foundation:
History:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Texas_(BB-35)
ラバウル海軍航空隊 Rabauru kaigun kōkū-tai
Rabaul Naval Air Corps:
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