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<br />BATTLESHIP TEXAS FOUNDATION <br /> <br />WHITE PAPER <br /> <br />Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Dry-berth Project Rationale and Ship's History <br /> <br />September 5,2008 <br />Updated: February 5, 2010 <br /> <br />Introduction - <br />The Battleship Texas is owned by the State of Texas and, through Legislation, is <br />administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The Battleship <br />Texas Foundation (BTF) is the successor entity to the Battleship Texas Commission, <br />created by the Legislature in 1947 to raise funds to move the Texas and to manage her <br />restoration and public display. The Texas Legislature delegated the administrative <br />responsibility for the ship to TPWD in 1983. <br /> <br />Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- <br />Q1. Why is the Battleship Texas at the San Jacinto Battleground in the first place? <br />AI. When the ship was offered to the State of Texas in 1947, Governor Buford <br />Jester appointed the Battleship Texas Commission to address all aspects ofthe <br />issue, including the ship's location and how to raise funds to pay for moving the <br />ship here. The Commission heard testimony from a wide range of interested <br />Texans including several descendants of General Sam Houston. They stated that <br />the San Jacinto Battleground site was the ideal location for the ship since, as an <br />icon ofthe State as well as the State's namesake, she would be a constant <br />reminder that, although Texans won their freedom from Mexico at the Battle of <br />San Jacinto in 1836, freedom is never fully and finally won. Freedom is <br />preserved through constant technological innovation and by the sacrifices of <br />heroic individuals. Heroes are not limited to a specific time and place in our <br />State's past; they are also part of our more recent history, as embodied by the <br />Battleship Texas, as well as by those citizens of Texas who volunteer to serve in <br />our armed forces today. BTF is proud to celebrate all of our heroes, both past and <br />present, and to provide inspiration for our future heroes. <br />The state statute that created the San Jacinto Battleground Historical <br />Advisory Board, which advises TPWD on the presentation of the State Historical <br />Park, specifies that one board member shall represent the Battleship Texas <br />Foundation, implying clear legislative intent for the ship to be at the San Jacinto <br />Battleground. <br /> <br />Q2. Some have suggested that the ships would draw more visitors if she were moved <br />to a more "tourist-friendly" site. How do you respond? <br />A2. The expert consensus is that the most cost-effective plan is to dry-berth the <br />Texas at its current location. She can't be moved any significant distance and she <br />needs to be in a dry berth at the earliest possible time in order to preserve her. <br /> <br />1 <br />