BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – Members of American Legion Post 159 recently traded the Brazos Valley for the Houston Ship Channel to participate in a historic maritime milestone. On Monday, April 20, 18 local veterans traveled to the Port of Houston for a private tour of USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) as part of the city’s inaugural Fleet Week.
The event marked the first time the U.S. Navy has hosted a Fleet Week in Houston, bringing more than 1,000 sailors and Marines to the Texas coast to showcase the nation's sea services.
The journey began at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station. The group met with representatives from Comcast, the trip’s sponsor, and boarded their bus at "The Wall" - the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial - a fitting departure point for a day dedicated to honoring service.
Comcast, which recently completed a multi-million-dollar fiber network expansion into Bryan and College Station, hosted the veterans as part of its ongoing commitment to the military community. Joining the veterans for the duration of the trip were members of the Comcast Houston team, including Taisha Walker, director of public relations, and Zachery Lashway, public relations manager. Both representatives are deeply involved in the company's veteran relations initiatives and worked alongside the Legion members to facilitate the experience.
On the way to the coast, the group made a meaningful stop at the Honor Café in Conroe. More than just a restaurant, the veteran-owned "living museum" provided a patriotic backdrop for the group. The café is renowned for its immersive atmosphere, where every wall serves as a gallery for military memorabilia and personal stories of service - a space designed to keep military history alive through "extraordinary stories and great food."
The centerpiece of the trip was USS Kearsarge, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. As one of the largest vessels in the Navy, Kearsarge functions as a floating airfield. During the tour, veterans learned about the ship's versatile deck, which serves as a landing pad for helicopters and advanced Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, including the AV-8B Harrier and the state-of-the-art F-35B Lightning II.
Guided by active-duty seamen, the Post 159 members explored the ship’s mission: transporting and landing elements of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) via aircraft and landing craft for both combat and global humanitarian missions.
"It was a great trip for our group," said one of the veterans. "It gave our veterans a chance to interact with the next generation of servicemembers and personally thank these young sailors for their dedication to our country."
The outing highlighted the enduring bond between generations of veterans, bridging the gap between those who served in decades past and the men and women currently manning the rails of the nation’s most advanced warships.