CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The City of Corpus Christi and three other communities in the Coastal Bend have been designated as American World War II Heritage Cities through a joint nomination effort with Nueces and Kleberg Counties.

The selection was based on the contributions of local towns, cities, counties, and citizens who stepped into the workforce to support America’s war effort during World War II.

Mayor Paulette Guajardo provided a letter of support for the nomination, which included:

-The role Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi (NAS-CC) played in the war effort

-High-profile aviators who trained at NAS-CC, including President George H.W. Bush, astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong and Senator John McCain

-The Port of Corpus Christi’s role in transporting over 100 million tons of cargo during this time

-The valuable contributions from Port Aransas, Kingsville and Beeville

-Today NAS-CC trains approximately 400 pilots a year and its tenant, the Corpus Christi Amry Depot, is the world’s largest rotary wing aircraft repair facility

As a designated community, the City of Corpus Christi can now use the official WWII American Heritage City program logo for non-commercial use, and information about the contributions made by the Coastal Bend in support of the war effort is now available on the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov.

Media requesting additional information can contact Development Services Senior Management Analyst Joann Salinas at (361) 826-3231 or by email at [email protected].