Once the USS Lexington was made ready for visitors in October 1992, the crowds began to show up. Not just to see the ship, but to board and tour the ship. Admission was $7.00 for adults, but many (myself included), bought $35.00 memberships good for unlimited visits for a year.
On October 28, a barge arrived at the Lexington site loaded with 10 aircraft which had made landings on the Lexington throughout its history. They had come from the Naval Museum in Pensacola and were placed on the flight deck of the Lexington.
The formal dedication of the USS Lexington Museum took place on November 14, 1992. The Veterans Band played patriotic songs as visitors came aboard. On hand for the ceremony were a number of honored guests who had served aboard the ship at some point during its long history.
Over 1,700 former crew members who had served on the ship were present, including 200 who had served during World War II. They wore distinctive blue caps and were recognized by Joe Jessel, President of the Lady Lex Museum on the Bay Association.
A special guest speaker at the ceremony was retired Navy Cmdr. Alex Vraciu, an “ace” pilot aboard the Lexington during World War II. By mid June of 1944, he had already shot down 12 enemy aircraft. But on June 19, 1944 he shot down six Japanese aircraft in the span of eight minutes during the battle known as the “ Marianas Turkey Shoot”.
Also on hand was 79 year old Hugh Winters, commander of Air Group 19 aboard the Lex during WWII. The squadron was credited with sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers. Winters was himself a fighter “ace” with eight confirmed downings of Japanese aircraft.
Introduced at the dedication ceremony were two special guests who had made history aboard the Lexington. Eighty-eight year old Bennett Wright, who had joined the Navy in 1925, was the Air Officer aboard the Lexington when it was commissioned. It was his job to train the young, inexperienced pilots in the art of carrier landings. And it was Bennett Wright who had the distinction of landing the first airplane on the Lexington on April 23, 1943. With Mr. Wright at the 1992 dedication was 29 year old Kathleen Owens, a naval pilot who had the distinction of making the very last landing on the USS Lexington on March 8, 1991. Her’s was the 493,248th arrested landing on the carrier, a U.S. Navy record that will likely never be broken.
Over 3,800 people attended the Dedication and watched as the Navy turned over command of the historic ship to the City of Corpus Christi. Since the 1992 dedication, the USS Lexington Museum has become one of the top tourist attractions in Texas. Numerous exhibits and attractions have been added to the museum in the past 32 years, enhancing its legacy as one of the city’s most historic and popular destinations.
That story coming in Part 3.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.
