Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Ah, I see … was that the name of the book, Robert - "Sky Shirts" ???

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Wow!!! … Isn't THAT interesting? And, here, I'd thought the ENTIRE Shuttle program, had been scrapped!!!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I don't remember but it wasn't the name of the book, actually now that I think about it I believe it was a novella in one of the old SciFi magazines. I used to subscribe to several of them and when I was in high school I found a couple of boxes of old ones left in the closet by my youngest aunt. Provided me with reading during the summer that year.

I do remember the hero was an armored unit commander who was trying to get his unit in position to take out a large Texas Navy cruiser that had been brought up the Houston Ship Channel to defend the city of Houston.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Houston Ship Channel, huh? … Is that just an element of the story, or does it actually exist?

Doesn't seem possible - does it?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

It exists, starts at Galveston on the Gulf - 50 miles long, 500+ feet wide and 45' deep from the Gulf to the industrial area on the east side of downtown Houston. It was made, and is constantly being modified by dredging through Galveston Bay and natural waterways. The result is that Houston is one of the busiest ports in the US since very large ocean going ships can navigate it. It even has islands in some places.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The author probably got the idea from the fact that the USS Texas a 1912 built New York class dreadnought battleship that served in both world wars is set up as a memorial along the channel near Houston.
The Houston end of the channel is the "Turning Basin" where the large ships can not only dock to load and unload but turn around for the trip back to the Gulf of Mexico.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Houston is ONLY 50 miles - from the Gulf??? It doesn't seem possible! I'd thought Houston was much further in-land, than that! …

Large Ocean Liners can actually DOCK - in Houston, eh? … My, My! … Will wonders ever cease?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I don't think liners/cruise ships go there, it is a freight port.

Here is a map:
A. Ship Channel as it goes through the bay from the gulf.
B. Turning Basin east of downtown Houston
C. San Jacinto Battle Field and USS Texas Memorials

(Download)

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Oh, thanks, Robert … yes, I had looked it up in my atlas. Had NO IDEA it was that close to Galveston Bay.

Of course - this map of yours - makes them seem a lot further apart, than they look, in my atlas.
Thanks for pointing out where San Jacinto was, too. That was the turning point in the Mexican War - huh?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

San Jacinto was the battle in the Texas Revolution where they captured Santa Anna and forced him to sign papers saying Texas was independent and all Mexican troops would leave Texas.
900 Texans who had been hiding in a woods launched a surprise attack from three directions and only about 200 yards distance against an army of 1200 Mexican troops who were being allowed a day off to rest, cook hot food etc before crossing the San Jacinto River to continue their pursuit of the retreating Texans by an over confident Santa Anna. Chanting "Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad" the Texas troops over ran and shattered the Mexican army in only 18 minutes.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Yes, I remember that scene being re-enacted in one of the movies made about the Alamo. Of course - in Hollywood, they made it seem like Santa Anna was finished, but as you and I both know, he got away, to run, and fight - another day. But - you make it seem simple - like the WHOLE Mexican Army was finished, after that … but, that was only a faction of it, of course!!! ….

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

It was the part (about 1/3 of their field army) commanded by the President (Gen Santa Anna) and his brother-in-law. Between dead, wounded and captured it suffered about 90% casualties. Including Santa Anna being captured.

When he was sent to exile in Cuba just before the Mexican-American War started he secretly negotiated with both the Mexican and US governments:
He told the Mexican Gvt he did not want to be president again, just fight for Mexico against the US. They said "Come on home."
He told the US that if they helped him get back to Mexico he would take over and settle the disputes including selling the US the SW and California for a fair price. The US got him back to Mexico and supposedly gave him money to help him take over.

Then he double crossed both of them.
He took over as President again, and fought against the US.
But of course he lost and the US got the SW, California and the disputed parts of Texas between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers.*
But the large faction of the US Congress who had been against the war pushed through paying Mexico the $15 million offered for the SW and CA before the war. They even threw in things like the residents of former Mexican lands would be automatically US citizens. Land ownership recognized etc.
Santa Anna was out as president again but then came back for the last time in 1853 at the invitation of a group of Church Officials. But he stole money from the government and sold more of Mexico to the US (Gadsden Purchase). So he was kicked out again and Benito Juarez became president. They held a trial over his corruption and confiscated all his land and wealth. He moved around while in exile to Cuba, Europe, Saint Thomas, Columbia and the US. In 1865 he offered to go back to Mexico to fight the French invasion but was turned down. He then tried to raise money in the US to take over Mexico again but was unsuccessful. In 1874 the Mexican government issued a general pardon to all involved in the revolutions, coups etc and he went home to Mexico City. By this time he was ill, crippled and going blind. He was basically ignored by everyone and died at his home in 1876, aged 82.

*Here in CA it was a 4 way war, the US & pro-US Californios on one side, pro-Mexico Californios, and a group that wanted to rejoin the Spanish Empire but would settle for the British Empire instead. Plus of course Mexico. The pro-US Californios were like in Texas a mixed group of settliers from the US and other places who had come for land. One of them discovered gold just before the US took over. News of the gold spread and in 1848-49 the gold rush took place with people coming from the US all of Central and South America, Europe, the British Empire and even China. By September of 1850 California had gone straight from military occupation to Gold Rush and almost instant statehood without any intermediate steps along the way.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

"Thar's GOLD in THEM THAR HILLS!!!" … well, thereyago, Jerry … money (gold) has a way of shortcutting all bureaucracy, AND a few throats, along the way, too!!! …

Listen - I never said Santa Anna was killed. I knew he escaped after that ambush - just wasn't sure how it had taken place. He sounds like a real nasty guy - that one - huh? … It's amazing how he kept waltzing in and out of the Presidency for some 20-odd years. Don't think anyone else could've done it!!!!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

He was mostly in as president because of a military or political coup. He got the support he needed because he was so wealthy and passed money out freely. Then he would get everyone mad and they would throw him out and he would start bribing people again to get back in power. When they held the trial and confiscated his estates and wealth that was his last time in power. His attempt to raise enough money in the US to get back in power failed and he only got back into Mexico because of the general pardon issued in 1874. He got back into Mexico and obtained a home in Mexico City as a very ill and nearly blind 80 year old where less than 2 years later he died. Probably still dreaming about taking over again.

Oh, he had an artificial left leg having lost it after being hit by a French cannon ball while failing to stop a French invasion in 1838 to force the Mexican gvt to pay a huge amount of money they owned to French citizens and banks. He failed, the French collected their money and left but he bragged about how hard he fought to stop them while and after losing his leg - it helped him get support to take over again. When he was thrown out again a mob dug up his leg (he had buried it with a full military funeral) and drug it around the streets of Mexico City until it disintegrated. One of his cork artificial legs and a wooden peg leg were captured from his home in Mexico City by the 4th Illinois Infantry* during the Mexican American War. The cork one is in the Illinois State Military Museum and the peg leg (supposedly the troops used it for a baseball bat) is in a museum that was the home of a regimental member who later got elected Governor of Illinois.

*As in many US wars up until WW I the US depended on states to raise regiments of volunteers through the state militia to reinforce the traditionally small Regular Army. Between the Spanish American War in the late 1890s and WW I the US went over to the present National Guard and Army Reserve system. Some states do still have a small not very active State Militia. National Guard and Reserve are both paid for and equipped by the Federal Gvt. but the Guard units are at the beck and call of the state gvt for disaster relief, riots etc. The President can call them to federal service and send them where needed. The Reserves are totally under federal control at all times. Many US Army Divisions are just skeletons but when needed National Guard and Reserve Units that are designated part of that division report for duty to that skeleton command group and presto you have a full division of trained troops who just need a bit of refresher training and maybe some new/more gear and weapons. Much faster than the old start from zero to build a division with the name and number of one that was totally disbanded after the last war. The US hasn't had to do that in a long time. In the 60s the 1st Cavalry Division which was guarding the DMV in Korea suddenly got the name, number, history and flag of the 2nd Infantry Division (disbanded after WW II) and the 1st Cavalry name was given to a new division organized and trained for helicopter warfare - the 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) was born. Today it is back to just 1st Cavalry and is an over sized combined arms division (basically a small army with every type of unit it needs) - similar to a Marine Division's organization.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Jerry - how would you know this? About Santa Anna's fake legs? Did you see them at the museum in ILL?