Namesake:
Austin, Texas / Stephen Fuller Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born on 3 November 1793 on the southwestern
frontier of Virginia in what is now Wythe County. In 1798, his family
moved to what is now Missouri. At the completion of studies at
Transylvania University in April 1810, he returned to that area to
begin what would be a widely varied career. He worked as a storekeeper,
managed some of the local lead mines, and served as the director of the
Bank of St. Louis. Concurrently, Austin was also a militia officer and
a member of the Missouri territorial legislature. However, by 1820, the
Austin family had fallen on hard times, and Stephen moved on to
Arkansas in June of that year. Appointed a judge by the governor, he
appears never to have served on the bench. Instead, he moved south to
New Orleans to study law. While there, he also assisted in the
editorial department of the Louisiana Advertiser.
While in New Orleans, Austin succumbed to his father's enthusiastic
interest in settling Americans in the Mexican province of Texas.
Visiting the area in 1821, he secured the governor's consent to settle
the 300 families in Texas for which his father's grant called. In
addition, he selected a fertile, well-watered site on the Gulf of
Mexico for the colony and, in January 1822, supervised the
establishment of the colony there. In the meantime, Mexico had
successfully concluded her 11-year struggle for independence from
Spain. That event, coupled with the Spanish origin of Moses Austin's
original land grant, caused some doubt about the continued validity of
the enterprise.
Stephen Austin, therefore, travelled to Mexico City to gain the
approval of the new government. Political instability in the capital
kept him there for about a year, but he returned not only with an
official sanction but also with valuable experience and knowledge in
negotiating with Latin officialdom, not to mention some powerful
friends.
Upon his return, he brought with him a broad range of power. In a
sense, he may be viewed as absolute dictator of Texas until 1828,
combining in his person the roles of executive, legislative and
judicial branches of government as well as military head. He possessed
the final authority to admit people to or exclude them from his grant.
Though much of this authority lapsed after the 1828 organization of a
constitutional government for Texas, his influence continued to
dominate the scene for several years thereafter. He served as a member
of the legislature of Coahuila-Texas in 1831 and 1832 and was elected
to the term beginning in 1835. However, events which led to the
independence of Texas prevented him from serving that term.
A convention assembled in April 1833 requested of the Mexican
government that Texas be separated from Coahuila and be granted the
status of a state within the Mexican federation. Austin -- using his
knowledge of the Mexican psychc -- opposed the method and timing,
though he favored the objective. Nevertheless, he carried out the
wishes of the convention by delivering its petition to Mexico City.
Once the course was determined, he pressed the Texan case vigorously --
perhaps too vigorously. For his pains, he was arrested on the spurious
charge that he was really pushing for a Texan revolution with the
object of appending Texas to the United States. As a result, he spent a
year in prison and another six months of detention under bond.
A general amnesty law in July 1835 finally allowed him to return to
Texas. Upon his arrival there, he found the people on the threshold of
revolt. A convention of Texans was scheduled for November 1835 to
formulate a policy toward Santa Ana's changes to the federal
constitution of 1824, but war erupted before the convention met. Thus
the focus of their discussions quickly changed to defining the goals
for which the Texans were fighting. Austin supported the successful
moderate resolution which called for Texas autonomy, but still within
the context of the federal constitution of 1824. Initially, therefore,
the Texans fought only the centralist concept.
Yet since they were fighting the central government -- regardless of
objective -- the people of Texas needed assistance. Accordingly, a
three-man commission -- composed of William H. Wharton, Branch T.
Archer, and Austin -- was appointed to travel to the United States to
seek loans and other assistance. The commissioners arrived in New
Orleans in January 1836 and secured loans totalling about a quarter of
a million dollars. Their trip up the Mississippi River generated a
great deal of sympathy for their cause and no doubt contributed to the
subsequent, large influx of Americans into Texas.
Nevertheless, in the United States, support for the Texans remained
private rather than public. Despite the excellent connections of the
three commissioners, the Jackson Administration avoided any hint of
official support. While the three men were still in Washington, Texas
declared its independence on 2 March 1836. Those two facts dictated
their return to Texas to help establish the government of the new
republic. Austin arrived back in Texas in June of 1836 and, supported
by his two former colleagues in the United States, ran for the
presidency of the republic. He lost to Sam Houston in the September
election but, the following month, accepted the post of secretary of
state in Houston's cabinet and served in that post until his death on
27 December 1836.
USS AUSTIN is also the name of the city that serves as the capital of
Texas and the seat of government for Travis County. Named in honor of
Stephen Fuller Austin, the founder of Texas, it is located in central
Texas on the Colorado River about 75 nules northeast of San Antonio.
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Historical Notes:
USS AUSTIN was laid down on 4 February 1963 at Brooklyn, N.Y., by the
New York Naval Shipyard; launched on 27 June 1964; sponsored by Miss
Lynda Bird Johnson, the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and
commissioned on 6 February 1965, Capt. William H. Shaw in command.
The amphibious transport dock remained at Brooklyn through May, then
sailed to Norfolk, Va., on 26 May to complete her outfitting. During
September and October, she was engaged in shakedown training in the
vicinity of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The ship then made a port call at
Corpus Christi, Tex., before returning to her home port of Norfolk in
November.
From November 1965 through April 1966, AUSTIN operated in the Norfolk
area before entering the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 5 May for
repairs and alterations. When this work was completed, she headed for
the Caribbean to conduct two weeks of trials off Vieques Island, Puerto
Rico. The ship next sailed to the Dominican Republic to assist in the
withdrawal of units of the Inter-American Peace Force which had helped
restore stability during a political crisis. These units were
disembarked at Sunny Point, N.C., on 9 August, and she then returned,
via Norfolk, to Philadelphia where she arrived on the 21st for
adjustments to her main propulsion plant. On 3 November AUSTIN returned
to Norfolk.
She spent the next four and one-half months in preparation for an
extended deployment as a unit of the Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group.
On 15 April 1967, AUSTIN touched at Morehead City, N. C., to embark
Marine Corps units and then proceeded to the Caribbean. While there,
she participated in numerous amphibious training exercises and made
port visits at Ponce and San Juan, Puerto Rico, Willemstad, Curacao,
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Colon, Panama, and Guantanamo Bay. The
vessel returned her marines to Morehead City on 17 August and arrived
at Norfolk on 19 August for a leave and upkeep period. She got underway
again on 4 November to become a part of the recovery force for the
Apollo IV space mission. From 13 to 16 November, AUSTIN held amphibious
training exercises, then returned to Norfolk for the holidays.
She sailed on 8 January 1968 to carry naval personnel and equipment to
Key West, Fla. After continuing on to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, the
ship arrived back in Norfolk on 25 January. During February, March, and
April, she took part in several training exercises along the east
coast. On 13 May, another cruise to the Caribbean began which included
visits to Bermuda, Nassau, Bahamas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Key
West. The vessel briefly returned to Norfolk on 3 June and then
retraced her route to take part in Operation "Race Run," at Vieques
Island. AUSTIN was back in home port on 30 June and entered the Norfolk
Naval Shipyard on 19 July for an overhaul.
Refresher training at Guantanamo Bay in late January 1969 was followed
by two weeks of amphibious warfare training in the Virginia capes area.
In April, AUSTIN took part in special amphibious exercises before
beginning another deployment to the Caribbean on 18 May. During the
four-month cruise, she was involved in Operation "Exotic Dancer II,"
held off Puerto Rico and visits included San Juan and Roosevelt Roads,
La Guaira, Venezuela; Colon, Panama; Guantanamo Bay; Bridgetown,
Barbados; and St. Thomas. This deployment ended on 10 September, and
the ship began a period of leave and upkeep at Norfolk. She sailed
again on 4 November as a recovery ship in support of the Apollo Xll
spaceshot and remained on station until 24 November when she began the
voyage back to Norfolk. AUSTIN made a brief stop at Port of Spain,
Trinidad, on 29 and 30 November and arrived at Norfolk on 6 December.
AUSTIN spent the first two and one-half months of 1970 in port, before
sailing on 17 March with Amphibious Squadron (PhibRon) 2 for the
Mediterranean. The deployment included amphibious landing exercises and
stops at Rota and Malaga, Spain, Genua and Naples, Italy, Cannes,
France, and Valletta, Malta. AUSTIN lost her stern gate on 6 June, and
temporary repairs were made at Malta from 16 to 30 June. The ship
arrived back in Norfolk on 13 July to begin a yard period for permanent
repairs. She emerged from the shipyard on 22 September and began
refresher training. AUSTIN again deployed with PhibRon 2 on 16
November. During the cruise, AUSTIN held numerous amphibious and
antisubmarine warfare exercises. She also visited Genoa, Livorno, and
Naples Italy, Barcelona and Rota, Spain, Mersin, Turkey, and Athens
Greece. On 7 May 1971, AUSTIN ended the cruise at Norfolk.
The ship got underway again on 14 July for operations in conjunction
with the recovery of the Apollo XV space capsule.
The first two weeks in August were spent in mine countermeasures
exercises held in the area of Charleston, S.C. AUSTIN then entered a
period of type training and amphibious exercises followed by more mine
warfare exercises in early November. She returned to Norfolk on 12
November for the holidays.
AUSTIN began 1972 with Exercise "Snowy Beach," a large-scale landing
exercise held off the coast of Maine. From 15 February to 20 March, she
participated in Operation "Springboard," in the Caribbean. The ship
visited the Naval Academy from 17 to 20 April to hold indoctrination
tours for midshipmen. During the next two months, she conducted type
training and took part in Exercises "Exotic Dancer," and "Escort
Tiger." On 5 July, the vessel unloaded all ammunition in preparation
for overhaul. She entered the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.,
Baltimore, Md., on 11 July. Work continued there until 11 October, when
the ship was towed to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for completion of the
yard work.
On 15 March 1973, AUSTIN began post-repair trials. She sailed to
Guantanamo Bay on 22 March and, after refresher training, returned to
Norfolk on 24 April. After another two months of preparation, the
vessel sailed on 7 June for another Mediterranean deployment. Her ports
of call included Alicante, Barcelona, and Rota, Spain; Trieste and
Venice, Italy, and Corfu, Athens, and Rhodes, Greece. She took part in
several exercises, including NATO Exercise, "Deep Furrow," from 18
September to 4 October. On 10 October, AUSTIN got underway for Soudha
Bay, Crete, as a part of the 6th Fleet response to the Arab-Israeli
War. In early December, she began the trip back to Norfolk. After
pausing briefly at Morehead City on 19 December, she arrived at Norfolk
on 20 December for post-deployment standdown.
The ship got underway on 8 February 1974 for Guantanamo Bay as a unit
of the Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group. She operated from various
points in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands through August. In early
September, AUSTIN visited Caracas, Venezuela, and Willemstad, Curacao.
While in Curacao, 154 Dutch marines were embarked for Exercise "Doria
Salute VII." The marines disembarked at Vieques Island; then AUSTIN
returned -- via San Juan, Aruba, and Curacao -- to Norfolk on 19 March.
However, she headed back toward the Caribbean on 24 April. The first
country visited was Panama, where marines disembarked for jungle
warfare training. Her subsequent ports of call included Cartagena,
Colombia, Vieques, Puerto Rico, and St. Johns, Antigua. From 25 May to
2 June, AUSTIN was back in Norfolk for upkeep. She resumed duty on 30
October by sailing to the Canal Zone. The ship continued her routine of
shuttling marines and their equipment between various Caribbean ports
through 16 December, when she arrived back at Norfolk.
On 25 February 1975, AUSTIN deployed once more to the Mediterranean and
carried out amphibious training exercises and midshipmen training
cruises in that area, visiting ports in Spain, Italy, and France before
returning to Norfolk on 20 August. She then began an extended period of
availability.
The ship got underway on 14 January 1976 to load ammunition and sailed
a week later for the Caribbean. After a brief training period at
Guantanamo Bay, she continued on to Curacao. From 4 to 16 February,
AUSTIN took part in Exercise "Rum Punch 76. " She was back in home port
on 21 February for upkeep.
For the next four months, the amphibious transport dock was involved in
a series of inspections, training exercises, and Naval Reserve training
cruises. On 9 June, she returned briefly to the Caribbean and then made
a short visit to New York City in early July. AUSTIN was back in
Norfolk on 10 July and began preparations for overseas movement. She
sailed on 20 August for northern Europe. Her ports of call during the
cruise included Orland, Norway; Edinburgh, Scotland; Scapa Flow, Orkney
Islands; Esbjerg, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Bremerhaven,
Germany, and Portsmouth, England. After a stop at Morehead City to
disembark marines she arrived in Norfolk on 11 November.
The ship went to Yorktown, Va., on 17 January 1977 to unload ammunition
prior to her scheduled overhaul. She proceeded to Baltimore on 2
February and commenced overhaul at the Maryland Shipbuilding and
Drydock Co. The work was finished on 16 February 1978, and AUSTIN
returned the next day to Norfolk. After a brief stay, she sailed to
Guantanamo Bay for refresher training, but was back in Norfolk on 25
April. After several months of training, the vessel got underway on 22
August for the north Atlantic. There she took part in Operation
"Northern Wedding," in conjunction with other NATO naval units, and
made stops in Norway, Denmark, and England, before returning to Norfolk
on 31 October.
AUSTIN sailed on 30 January 1980 for another Mediterranean deployment.
During this trip, she touched at Lisbon, Portugal; Cartagena, Spain;
Athens, Greece; and Naples, Genoa, and Venice, Italy. The ship returned
to her home port on 11 July. After a brief respite, she sailed for
South America on 15 October and participated in Operations "Unites,"
and "Allied Caribe 80." The warship took part in an amphibious
operation with Brazilian naval forces. Operation "Allied Caribe 80" was
held in the Antilles in conjunction with units from Great Britain,
Canada and the Netherlands. AUSTIN later provided hurricane relief
assistance to the inhabitants of Dominica. The ship returned to Norfolk
on 7 December, and she continued operations from that port into 1981.
On 3 February 1981, AUSTIN put to sea from Norfolk on her way to
Morehead City, N.C., to embark Marine Corps units. From Morehead City,
she headed for the Arctic Circle near Norway where she participated in
cold weather training. The warship returned to Norfolk on 17 April and
resumed normal operations out of that port. Late in June, she voyaged
south and west to the gulf coast of Florida to perform a special
project for the Chief of Naval Operations. During the tclp home, AUSTIN
visited Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Nassau in the Bahamas. Arriving back
at Norfolk on 8 July, she resumed a normal schedule of operations until
the beginning of September when she entered the yard at the Norfolk
Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. to begin an 11-month overhaul.
AUSTIN completed the repair period on 2 August 1982 and spent most of
the remainder of the year undergoing post- overhaul inspections and
examinations at Norfolk. She began 1983 with a cruise to Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, to conduct post-overhaul refresher training. During the
early part of February, the warship took an extended break from
training to make a 12-day port visit to New Orleans, La., for the Mardi
Gras festival. AUSTIN resumed refresher training on 19 February and
concluded it on 1 March. In March and early April, she operated out of
Norfolk and then spent the last three weeks of April in port preparing
to deploy to the troubled eastern Mediterranean. On 5 May AUSTIN set
sail for Morehead City where she embarked the 1st Battalion, 8th
Marines (BLT 1/8), and the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU 24) before
heading out across the Atlantic.
The warship arrived in the Mediterranean late in May and disembarked
the Marine Corps units at Beirut, Lebanon, where a guerilla-style civil
war among a virtual rainbow of factions complicated by military
incursions on the parts of Syria and Israel, had been in progress at
varying levels of intensity for some time. In September 1982, the
assassination of president-elect Bashir Gemayel touched off atrocities
that brought a multinational peacekeeping force into the country soon
thereafter. In May 1983, the marines of BLT 1/8 and MAU 24 replaced the
part of that force protecting Beirut International Airport. AUSTIN, for
her part, remained in the vicinity providing support for the troops,
anchoring nearby during the day and steaming out to sea at night.
As tense as the situation in Lebanon was, ship and marines quickly
settled into a routine. Too quickly perhaps, for on 23 October 1983, a
terrorist shattered that routine when he drove an explosives-laden
truck into the lobby of the headquarters of the Marine Corps units
stationed ashore. The detonation of the mobile bomb destroyed the
headquarters, killed 241 men and injured over 100 others. AUSTIN
responded to the emergency quickly by providing men to stand security
watches and help in the search for survivors. In November, the
amphibious transport dock departed the eastern Mediterranean and began
the voyage home. On 7 December, she disembarked the remnants of BLT 1/8
and MAU 24 at Morehead City. The following day AUSTIN put into port at
Little Creek, Va., and began postdeployment leave and upkeep.
The warship remained in port at Little Creek for the first six weeks of
1984. On 13 February, she put to sea to participate in a minesweeping
exercise off the coast of North Carolina before heading for
Scandanavian waters. During the Atlantic transit and during her time in
the Arctic waters near Norway, AUSTIN and other Navy warships joined
elements of the navies of Canada Denmark, Norway, and the United
Kingdom in conducting the two-part NATO Exercise "United Effort
Teamwork '84."
Following the conclusion of the exercise, the amphibious transport dock
made ceremonial visits to ports in Norway, the Netherlands, and in the
United Kingdom. She returned to Little Creek on 28 April after a brief
stop at Morehead City to disembark marines and unload their equipment.
In June, at the conclusion of the usual post-deployment standdown,
AUSTIN embarked upon a schedule of normal operations along the east
coast. That employment occupied her time for the remainder of 1984 and
during the first half of 1985. On 2 July 1985, she made the brief
voyage to Morehead City where she embarked Marine Corps units and their
equipment for another tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. The amphibious
transport dock arrived in Rota, Spain, on 13 July and entered the
Mediterranean Sea the following day. While the problems in Lebanon
continued, direct American military involvement there had ceased. Thus
AUSTIN accomplished her 1985 Mediterranean deployment in a more routine
fashion. It consisted of bilateral and multilateral exercises
punctuated by visits to ports throughout the "middle sea." She
completed turnover procedures at Rota, Spain, between 4 and 7 December
and then put to sea for the voyage home. AUSTIN stopped at Morehead
City on the 18th and 19th to disembark marines and stood into Norfolk
on the 20th.
In January 1986, the amphibious transport dock began a restricted
availability at pierside in Norfolk. She finished repairs late in April
and resumed normal operations out of Norfolk. AUSTIN pursued those
activities until the middle of August. She departed Norfolk on 12
August and, after embarking Marine Corps units at Morehead City on the
13th, set sail for northern Europe and another series of exercises with
forces of other NATO nations. The cruise -- highlighted by visits to
Norway, Denmark, Germany, and England -- lasted through the first week
in October. On 8 October, AUSTIN stood out of Dover, England, and
shaped a course back to the United States. Steaming by way of Morehead
City, the amphibious tranpsort dock arrived in Little Creek on 21
October. On 3 November, she moved from Little Creek to the Norfolk
Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. where she began a regular overhaul.
As
of the beginning of 1987, AUSTIN was still undergoing repairs at
Norfolk. |