Texas historians Thomas E. Alexander and Dan K. Utley have teamed up to provide interesting and valuable stories about some important military sites in Texas, from the Mexican War through World War II.
“Faded Glory: A Century of Forgotten Texas Military Sites, Then and Now” (Texas A&M University Press, $29.95 flexbound, 240 pages) focuses on 29 entries covering the first century of Texas statehood from 1845-1945.
Most of those sites are long since abandoned and many have been pretty much forgotten. Alexander and Utley not only help bring them back to public attention but also argue eloquently for historical preservation of these places that once played significant roles in the life of the state.
The book is divided into seven sections — covering the Mexican War (1846-1848), the Indian wars (1848-1875), the Civil War (1861-1865), the Spanish-American War (1898), the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), World War I (1917-1918), and World War II (1941-1945).
Each chapter includes three or four military sites except for the chapter on WWII, which includes seven locations. Maps, photos and access information are provided along with a brief historical account of each site.
“Many of the sites we describe,” the authors write, “have been totally obliterated by the relentless waves of time. Some have surrendered to urban development while others, doomed by climate and public apathy, have simply melted back into the earth, their location unmarked and all but forgotten.
“While the drama and excitement created long ago by the thunder of cannon, the rattle of sabers, the bugles’ blare, and the ruffle of drums are now distant echoes, the enduring heritage of each site remains.”
■ Historic building: The story of the Ashbel Smith Building at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, better known as Old Red, is told by Heather Green Wooten in “Old Red: Pioneering Medical Education in Texas” (Texas State Historical Association, $15.95 paperback, 144 pages).
Old Red housed the UTMB when it opened in 1891 and has seen good days and bad days since then. It was almost demolished in 1966 but was restored instead and reopened in 1986. Flooded by Hurricane Ike in 2008, the building reopened in 2011.
“Whenever they are in Galveston, UTMB alumni often make their way back to Old Red,” Wooten writes. “Many are now gray-headed and move a bit slower. But they find solace and pleasure both in their treasured memories of Old Red and the promises it holds for future generations.”
GLENN DROMGOOLE WRITES ABOUT TEXAS BOOKS AND AUTHORS. CONTACT HIM AT G.DROMGOOLE@SUDDENLINK.NET.