|
Latest Blubonnet News HERE SHIP'S LOG HMAS Perth Association Check out the USS Houston-CA30 site of NG Shawn Flynn, son of Survivor, David Flynn. Shawn has done a wonderful job of memorializing the story of the Houston and its crew! Recent Publications
"Unjust Enrichment" "Attention Fool" "The Ghost that Died in Sunda Strait" Blue Bonnet News
Library References Buy The Videos Coffee Mug Shirt Cap Bumper Sticker Bell Lapel Pin Memorial Lapel Pin
|
REUNIONS Photo show from this year's Memorial Service Instructions for downloading: When you see one you would like to use click on the small floppy disk icon in the lower right corner of the screen just to the left of the music control icon. A window will open with the same image you are viewing and this new window allows you to Right click over it and Save Picture As, Email Picture, Print Picture etc. Thanks to Mr. Tim Joseph! More photos courtesy of the Flynn Family
USS Houston CA-30 Survivors Association and Next Generations
Contact: Val Poss 2501 Amen Corner, Pflugerville, TX 78660 512 989-0000 email: CA30NG@aol.com **** Send Scholarship donations to: USS Houston Scholarship Fund **** Survivor, Otto Schwarz, in an Interview Survivor, Harry Kelley, Memorial Day 2007 Interview Congratulations to the 2008 Scholarship winner: Raymond Davis
|
NOW HEAR THIS! All USS Houston (CA-30) Survivors Association and Next Generations family: Spread the Word! To all blood relations of the ship’s crew, descendants, those associated through marriage, or any known persons with a keen interest in the USS Houston…. Scholarship Program - Applications are accepted beginning June 1 with the deadline for submission extending to November 1. Applications and specific information about applying may be obtained anytime by writing a request to: John Keith Schwarz Those eligible to apply include students entering the final year of high school with anticipation of going to college, as well as all college under-graduates up through the final year of study. Previous applicants and winners can re-apply. Applicants are required to present grades or evidence of progress in school and may present outside work experience, extra-curricular activities, etc. Applications must also present an essay. The ’08 scholarship amount will be in the amount of $3,000 (unless there is a tie so applicants --- give it your best!) Please remember that donations are appreciated – It would be an extraordinarily loving act to donate in honor of or in memory of a loved one. Make your checks out to: USS Houston Scholarship Fund % Pam Foster, 370 Lilac Ln, Lincoln, CA 95648 |
Previous scholarship winners:
- 2003-Gene Bankhead
- 2004-Katie Fort
- 2006-Gerald Agin
- 2007-Jenny Garrett
****
also see www.usshouston.blogspot.com
News from the USS HOUSTON Dive Team
A VideoRay Presentation: Click HERE
by Jerry Ranger
At this time I’m working on getting up another dive trip to Jakarta to finish the dive trip that was stopped in 2006. I have started to work on getting the permits that we will need to let us dive deep inside the ship to find the Officer’s stateroom that was opened by another dive team. I have been on the phone with the Navy and they are working with me to make sure nothing goes wrong on this next trip.
I have been in contact with David Phillips who was the one that controlled the VideoRay ROV on the ship. He has informed me that we can use the VideoRay equipment and possibly a side band sonar to make passes over the USS HOUSTON to give us a look at her on the bottom of the bay. This will also show the items that may be away from the ship on the bottom, like the engine from the SOC aircraft. The tuba from the band room that has been touched by a diver that I talked to over in Jakarta but he could not remove it from the sandy bottom. VideoRay has been very helpful.
I also have been in touch with Daniel in Jakarta about the trip and he is working on getting the same boat for the dive again. He also stated that he will be glad to help us when we arrive in Jakarta. Daniel has the air tanks and compressor for us to use when we get over there.
I have emailed Brad Gift in Korea, about the dive in March 2008, at this time he believes that his wife and he will be with me on the next dive trip on the USS HOUSTON.
COUPLE SPOTS OPEN ON THE DIVE TEAM:
I wanted to ask the Houston’s family first, if there is any SCUBA diver that would like to go on this dive trip, to get in contact with me. They will have to pay there own way over (plane ticket, food and hotel, etc) and some on the dive boat. You can contact me at Ranger9@bellsouth.net this is a hard dive, with strong currents and not for the rookie diver. I will be also contacting other divers that I know that have dove on the USS HOUSTON before from around the world to help make up the team. I need a back-up divers for safety reasons.
SURVIVORS WELCOME TO JOIN THE TEAM.
IF ANY OF THE SURVIVORS THINK THAT THEY CAN MAKE THE TRIP, AND WANT TO SEE THE VIDEORAY IN ACTION OVER THE TOP OF THE USS HOUSTON CA-30. PLEASE CONTACT ME. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SPACE ON THE BOAT FOR YOU.
SON OF SURVIVOR DIVES ON USS HOUSTON
The son of a survivor of the USS Houston, CA30, completed his dives on the ship March 6-18, 2004. The Houston was sunk in the Battle of Sunda Strait the night of March 1, 1942.
Jerry Ranger is the son of John W. Ranger. John survived the battle and the ship's sinking only to be captured by the Japanese and held as as Prisoner of War for 42 months. To date, Jerry is the only son of a survivor to dive on the ship where it rests at the bottom of Sunda Strait.
The USS Houston, was the last ship of the asiatic fleet to be sunk. Its crew were the first Prisoners of World War II to be taken by the Japanese. Many of them were transported to Burma where they were forced to build the Burma-Thai Railway, also known as the Death Railway. The most famous bridge of the railrod came to known as the Bridge over the River Kwai.
Click here to see more pictures of Jerry's dives on the Houston!
Click here to see the diary Jerry kept of his journey to dive!
WEB SITES - Clay Ramsey (our USS Houston friend) has designed a great
website at www.asiaticfleet.com. He entered the information about the dive at
Sunda Strait http://www.asiaticfleet.com/diving_in_the_sunda_strait.htm
The Memorial Dive on the wreck coincided with the services in Houston. A phone conversation with the Divers was taped with survivors in attendance that evening. More about this dive is noted in the 'logbook' entries by the divers at the Houston Logbook site (see link to left. Those who join the site as members (no cost) may enter their own information.) A video of this is available from the Next Generation.