In the Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX there is a beautiful 6-ft model of the battleship USS NEW MEXICO. Commissioned by the USS New Mexico BB-40 Association, the model was built at Baton Rouge, LA during the period 1989-1991 by Gordon Boutwell, PhD, PE.

It resides in a glass case and represents, in all its intricate detail, the NEW MEXICO in its 1945 configuration with twelve 14-inch guns in triple turrets and fourteen 5-inch guns in single mounts.

Outside of the museum, there are walls with plaques honoring the ships that served in the Pacific Theatre. A plaque donated by the USS New Mexico Association lists BB-40’s service in WWII – the battles in the Aleutians, Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Philippines and Okinawa and the occupation of Japan. The plaque concludes with the following:

The plaque is “dedicated to the memory of the shipmates who served and died aboard the battleship USS New Mexico” and declares the camaraderie of the crew with the words: “Shipmates – Then/Now/Forever”.