Survivors Mark the 70th Anniversary of USS Houston's Sinking-- Part 1

From Feb. 29th Houston Chronicle by Lindsay Wise.

On March 1, 1942, radioman David Flynn was on the USS Houston when he heard the order, "Hear this: All hands abandon ship>" Said Flynn, "At that announcement you sort of froze for a second."

Electrician's mate Howard Brooks, added, "We knew it was the end."

The USS Houston and HMAS Perth were both sunk by the Japanese off the coast of Java in the South Pacific.

Brooks of New Jersey and Flynn of Florida were both in their early twenties when the ship sank and are now both 92. Of the 1,068 on board at the sinking, only 291 survived that day and the brutal Japanese captivity afterwards.

The destruction of the Houston hit its namesake city hard, setting off a mass recruiting drive to replace the crew and an $85 million fundraising campaign to pay for a new cruiser and an aircraft carrier, the USS San Jacinto.

Fifteen crew members are still living, but only Flynn and Brooks were expected to attend the commemoration in Houston this past weekend.

I Had Never Heard of This Episode of the War. --GreGen