DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Before World War II, Calhoun County was quiet country — farming, ranching, pulling seafood out of the Gulf. The kind of place where a man's biggest concern might be the weather or the price of shrimp.
But the war had other plans for this stretch of Texas coast, and friend, it arrived faster than most folks were ready for. In November 1940 — before Pearl Harbor had even entered the national vocabulary — much of the county's shoreline was condemned for military purposes. The federal government took over Matagorda Island, and property owners were told, plain and simple, to pack up every last belonging and leave.
That is not a gentle ask. That is a government telling you the world has changed. Then came June 26, 1942.
Mexican cargo ships — within sight of Port O' Connor — were sunk by German U-boats. Not somewhere across an ocean. Right there.
Where people could see it happen. If there was any remaining question about the seriousness of the situation, that answered it. Residents started patrolling beaches.
The military established a protective watch area. And one night — one ordinary night on patrol — somebody walking the Matagorda Peninsula discovered Germans coming ashore. Took them prisoner, right there on the Texas coast.
Now, if that doesn't make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, check your pulse. The army had already been busy. Between October 1940 and January 1941, a surveillance system went in at Port O' Connor, Port Lavaca, and Olivia.
Citizens were trained to identify and report any airplane they could see. The Port Lavaca tower even observed a man using a fishing pole — a fishing pole — to raise an antenna. He was transmitting information to German U-boats out in the Gulf of Mexico.
A fishing pole. Some nerve. Turtle Bay and Matagorda Bay provided shoreline for an artillery division to practice and train.
Camp Hulen, nearby, was selected by the United States Army as the base for anti-aircraft artillery training. Camp Indianola served as an anti-aircraft target practice area, where they used remote control drones — called radio aircraft target service — to give gunners something to aim at. And in 1943, the Matagorda Island Gunnery Range was built to support training for the island bombing range.
Calhoun County — that quiet farming, ranching, seafood county — had become a full-on partner in the national war effort, training soldiers for overseas deployment. The Gulf was never just the Gulf after that. And the people who worked those beaches and watched those skies and patrolled those shores made sure of it.
What the marker says
Before World War II, Calhoun County was primarily involved in farming, ranching and commercial seafood but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the county became a major participant in the war effort. In November 1940, much of the county's shoreline had been condemned for military purposes. The federal government took over Matagorda Island and property owners were instructed to pack up all belongings and leave. The seriousness of the situation was realized on June 26, 1942 when Mexican cargo ships were sunk by German u-boats within sight of Port O' Connor. The military established a protective watch area and residents patrolled beaches. One night a patrol discovered Germans coming ashore on Matagorda Peninsula and took them prisoner. The army installed a surveillance system between October 1940 and January 1941 in Port O' Connor, Port Lavaca and Olivia. Citizens were trained to identify and report airplanes within view. The Port Lavaca tower observed a man using a fishing pole to put up an antenna; he was transmitting information to German u-boats in the Gulf of Mexico. Turtle and Matagorda Bay provided shoreline for the division of artillery to practice and train. The United States Army selected nearby Camp Hulen as the base for anti-aircraft artillery training. Camp Indianola served as an anti-aircraft target practice area that used remote control drones called radio aircraft target service for practice. In 1943, the Matagorda Island Gunnery Range was built that supported training for the island bombing range. Citizens of Calhoun County became a major party to the national war effort to train soldiers for overseas deployment. (2012)