Hello, all. My name is Mike Paquette from southern Connecticut and have been a World War II history buff for some 20 odd years now. My the Holy places I've visited include the World War II museum in New Orleans, The Battle of Britain Museum and Imperial War Museum in England and Battleship Cove in Massachusetts. My Bucket List includes the USS Texas, USS Kidd, the US Air Force Museum, The US Navy Museum in Pensacola just to name a few. I also do scale modeling on the subject and am currently working on converting a model kit of the flower class corvette HMCS Snowberry to the HMCS Spikenard and a large scale Gato submarine model to the USS Tautog as she looked during the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, when she was docked there. I have most interest in the Pacific Theater and The Battle of the Atlantic but have recently started getting engrossed with the story of Poland. Anyone read the book 'The Eagle Unbowed'? I hear it's a very good book on the subject.
Welcome Mike! I live about a two and a half hour drive from the USS Texas and have toured her two times. She is a eye opener on serving on board a ship designed for WWI. Before you plan your trip check her website as there are plans to dryberth her soon and the process is likely to curtail visits until completed. Nearby is the San Jacinto Battlefield and Park and from the Monuments observation deck you get a impressive view of the Texas. While down here Space Center Houston-Nasa Mission Control is nearby and they just added the original restored Galileo 7 shuttle from the original Star Trek to their numerous displays. In Galveston Bay/Island is the USS Stewart, a DDE and the USS Cavella, a modified Gato class submarine. Both are drybirthed at Seawolf Park and can be toured. Also on Galveston Island is the Lone Star Flight Museum with a commendable collection of aircraft, many from WWII. Northwest of Houston in Brian-College Station, About 3 hours from the USS Texas to the NW is the Museum of the American GI with about 2 dozen WWII vehicles, most in running condition plus many other artifacts. Hope you get a chance to visit our area!
Howdy Mike. good to have you lurking about the joint. Feel free to post pics of your models. I have a friend who has a model of nearly every production aircraft from the war. It is well over 700 different models.
Thanks all, for the welcome. When comes to the modeling, I've got so many started projects but domestic life has had kept me form finishing them for years now. As the kids are getting older now I'm just starting to get time to spend on it again (after my wife goes to sleep ) Belesar, is there a definite plan to get the Texas out of the water that's been accepted? I've seen several proposals in getting her into a dry berth but I wan't sure if it was a done deal yet.
Hi Mike. There is much to see and read here. Post away, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them. We don't bite (at least most of us )
Incidentally, check your email, I just sent you an email about what looks like an older profile for you.
