History underpins the San Luis Resort — literally. The hotel has a commanding view of Galveston Beach because it sits atop a high embankment containing artillery emplacements from historic Fort Crockett. Built after the great storm of 1900, two massive concrete revetments (gun emplacements) still nestle into the hillside, clearly visible from Seawall Boulevard. During World War II, the revetments sported 12-foot guns used for artillery training and coastal protection. Fort Crockett briefly housed German prisoners of war. Many fort buildings remain in use by Galveston College, Texas A&M University at Galveston and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Watch the following videos to learn more about Texas's World War II naval legacy and WWII POW camps in Texas. These videos were produced for inclusion in the World War II on the Texas Home Front mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel mobile app. Learn more about the tour and the app on the World War II theme page at the following link: http://texastimetravel.com/travel-themes/main-world-war-ii