CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County Commisioners got an update during their Wednesday meeting on efforts to have Corpus Christi and the surrounding area designated as an American World War II Heritage City.
Scott Cross, director of Coastal Parks for Nueces county, has spearheaded the effort to get that designation.
The National Park Service will award that designation to only one community in each state.
Cross told county commissioners that, as far as he knows, Corpus Christi is the only community in Texas that submitted an application.
The 38 page application includes a brief history of the Coastal Bend's contribution to the war effort.
For example, did you know that King Ranch supplied much of the beef for our troops during World War II?
Also, Port Aransas the site for coastal guns that protected us from possible German U-boat attacks.
The Coast Guard station here was also responsible for patrolling our beaches during the war.
Cross says, "All these facilities played a very strategic role in supporting the effort, the World War II effort. Every Marine Corp pilot that got his wings came through here before they went off to the war effort. I mean it's just amazing. "
Cross says he learned of this when a friend with U.S. Fish and Wildlife told him about it, "He said you know you ought to look at applying for this so we came to the judge, got approval from court and then we assembled our team which consisted of the City of Corpus Christi, Kleberg county, Nueces county...I'm sure I'm leaving somebody out."
Cross says getting this designation would be a big deal, "It's really amazing to me that we have all this rich World War II history and we don't even have this designation, think about that."
He says if we get this designation it could be the beginning of a World War II heritage trail like they have in other communities.
There is no word on when a selection will be made.
