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TEXAS CLIPPER Reefing
South Padre Island
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Whereas in her first life she
served our country as a military vessel:
USS QUEENS (APA 103) Attack Transport (1944-1946)
December 16, 1944 embarked on maiden voyage to carry
troops and cargo and provide hospital care.
March 1945, she debarked and treated Iwo Jima casualties.
September 22, 1945
she debarked occupation troops in Sasebo, Japan.
April 29, 1946 she was decommissioned and awarded the American Campaign,
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign,
Navy Occupation Service and WWII Victory Ribbons.
Whereas in her second
life she was involved in commerce and trade:
SS EXCAMBION (1948-1959)
Passenger-cargo liner one of the "Four Aces", American
Export Lines.
December 3, 1948 made maiden voyage as SS Excambion carrying passengers
and cargo between New York City
and Mediterranean ports.
March 12, 1959 completed her final passenger
cruise and laid up in the Hudson River.
1965 she was towed to
Galveston for service as the training ship of TMA.
Whereas in her third life
she served as a training platform for education:
USTS
TEXAS CLIPPER (1965-1996)
June 15, 1965 she departed Galveston on her maiden
voyage with 120 cadets to Halifax, Copenhagen,
Edinburgh, Southampton, Hamilton.
July 1994 she completed her last training cruise having served as the
training platform to hundreds of U.S. Merchant Marines and leaders within
the global maritime community.
For the next two years she served as a dormitory for
the Seaborne Conservation Corps.
May 1996 she was replaced by TEXAS CLIPPER II.
Whereas her fourth life
has begun:
Let it be known that after a most distinguished past
serving the United States of America and her many war injured and
casualties,
actively taking part in international commerce and trade, then richly and
proudly serving as the flagship of Texas -
the big, beautiful, maroon & white ship
has been reefed.
On Saturday morning, the waters of OSC Block PS1122 welcomed The
TEXAS CLIPPER as she begins her fourth life of service.
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