Texas is home to a significant number of military bases across all branches of the United States Armed Forces. Fort Cavazos and Fort Bliss, for example, are the garrisons for decorated fighting units such as the 1st Cavalry and the 1st Armored divisions. Joint Base San Antonio is a mega airbase, and the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi is a major flight training facility. The Lone Star State has always played a vital role in supporting the nation’s defense and has a rich military history forged by the following armed conflicts:
Battle of the Alamo
In February 1836, Mexican soldiers commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna marched through San Antonio and arrived at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, where Texian Army officers and legendary militia leaders such as Davy Crockett had established a garrison. General Santa Anna extended a gentlemanly offer to surrender without bloodshed, which the revolutionary fighters rejected with a volley of fire. The Alamo was under siege for over three weeks until Mexican troops applied overwhelming force in a final assault.
Although the American defenders were thoroughly defeated by overwhelming force, the Alamo became a symbol of Texan courage and resistance. When military, academic, or business groups tour the Alamo, challenge coins are often given to commemorate the visit.
The Naval Battles of Galveston
Two of the most significant naval battles of the American Civil War were fought in Galveston, where Confederate forces resisted attacks from Union ships that tried taking over the port in early 1861. After a year of blockades, the Union Navy mounted a formidable attack that resulted in the landing of soldiers from the 42nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.
Galveston fell to the Union in 1862, but there was a Second Battle of Galveston that featured two Confederate ships from Houston defeating the Union blockade in January 1863. A previous redeployment of Union soldiers allowed the Confederate troops to retake Galveston until the Civil War ended in 1865.
The Battle of San Jacinto
During the Texas Revolution, the Battle of the Alamo was remembered with a battle cry that Texian Army soldiers and militia fighters embraced as they fought to gain independence from the República Centralista de México. In April 1836, “Remember the Alamo” was heard by many of the Mexican soldiers who had laid siege to the Alamo Mission the month before. General Santa Anna and his troops were outnumbered and swiftly defeated with the same type of overwhelming force they applied during the assault on the Alamo.
The Texan victory at San Jacinto near Houston secured independence for Texas. General Santa Anna was wounded, captured, and forced to sign the Treaties of Velasco at gunpoint, thus formalizing independence for the Republic of Texas. A combination of effective military strategy, courage, and luck enabled Texian Army troops and militia units to reverse almost a dozen attempts to capture Santa Anna.
These three battles were crucial in shaping the courageous character and history of Texas, a state that proudly continues to write new chapters in American military history.