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US, Australian, Indonesian Navies Honor USS Houston, HMAS Perth

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US, Australian, Indonesian Navies Honor USS Houston, HMAS Perth Volume 72, Issue 3 • December, 2014 “Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast” Newsletter of the U.S.S. Houston CA-30 Survivors Association and Next Generations Now Hear This! US, Australian, Indonesian Navies Honor Association Address: USS Houston, HMAS Perth c/o John K. Schwarz, Executive Director 2500 Clarendon Blvd., Apt. 121 Arlington, VA 22201 Association Phone Number: 703-867-0142 Address for Tax Deductible Contributions: USS Houston Survivors Association c/o Pam Foster, Treasurer 370 Lilac Lane, Lincoln, CA 95648 (Please specify which fund – General or Scholarship) Association Email Contact: [email protected] Association Founded 1946: by Otto and Trudy Schwarz (Oct. 14, 2014) Naval officers from Australia, Indonesia and the United States participate in a wreath-laying ceremony aboard the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) in honor In This Issue… of the crews of the U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA 30) and the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Perth (D29). Wreath-laying Ceremony / 1, 2 . Vice Admiral Swift’s Selfie / 2 By Mass Communication Specialist 2/c In This Issue…cont. Brian T. Glunt, USS Frank Cable . Desk of Executive Director / 3 . Howard Brooks’ Birthday / 14 Public Affairs . Hostick Memorial Service / 4 . Photo Collection / 15 . CL-81 Reunion / 4 . 2015 Reunion Schedule / 16, 17 Sailors and Military Sealift . Bill Ingram Honored / 5 . Sales Items / 18 Command (MSC) civilian mariners . Basil Bunyard’s New Jacket / 5 . Board of Managers / 19 assigned to the submarine tender . You Shop, Amazon Gives / 5 . Welcome Aboard / 19 USS Frank Cable (AS 40), along . David Flynn’s Funeral / 6 . Membership / 19 with naval officers from Australia . A Crewman Remembers / 7, 8 . Association Websites / 19 and Indonesia, paid their respects . Association & USN Meeting / 9, 10 . News From Here & There / 20 to the crews of USS Houston (CA . Happy Birthday! / 11 . Financial Report / 21 30) and HMAS Perth (D 29) during . Scholarship Update / 12 . Thanks to Donors / 21 a wreath-laying ceremony Oct. 14, . Scholarship Winners / 12 . Masthead / 21 at the site of the sunken ships. Mail Bag / 13, 14 . (Continued on the next page) Page 1 "We feel it's an honor to take part in this Vice Admiral Swift Takes a Selfie ceremony together," said Royal Australian "We feel it's an honor to take part in this ceremony Next to CA-30 Model together,"Navy Capt. said Katja Royal Bizilj.Australian "We Navy fought Capt. together Katja Bizilj.and "Weultimately fought togetherthe crews and of ultimately both ships the crewspaid ofthe both ultimateships paid thesacrifice ultimate togethersacrifice together in the in the Indonesian territory; so, it's a great honor to payIndonesian respects toterritory; their sacrifice so, it's together." a great honor to pay respects to their sacrifice together." Indonesian Navy Chief of Naval Staff, Adm. Marsetio, authorized Indonesian Navy vessels and seniorIndonesian officers Navyto participate Chief of in Naval the wreath Staff, layingAdmiral ceremony.Marsetio, authorized Indonesian Navy vessels and senior officers to participate "Every navy has their own tradition in how they honin or theirthe heroes whowreath have-laying lost their livesceremony. at sea," said Indonesian Navy Capt. Judijanto. "This was the first time I've experienced a ceremony like this and because these ships rest in our territorial waters, it was very special for us to honor and remember the crews of these ships with the other nations." During the ceremony, the crew of Frank Cable manned the rails in their dress white uniforms as salutes were rendered and wreaths were lowered from the aft quarterdeck into the water above the wreckageUSS Frank of Cable each (AS ship.-40) Frank"Every Cable navy conducts has their maintenance own tradition and support in how on submarines and surface vessels deployed in the U.S. 7ththey Fleet honor area oftheir responsibility heroes who and haveis currently lost their on a regularlylives at scheduled sea," said underway Indonesian period. Navy Capt. Vice Admiral Scott H. Swift, USN, Director of Navy Judijanto. "This was the first time I've Staff, recently took this “selfie” photo while For more information about Frank Cable, visit standing next to the Boucher model of USS www.expericable.navy.milenced a ceremony or follow like on Facebookthis and becauseby typing "Frankthese Cable" ships restin the in search our territorial block. waters, it was Houston (CA-30) at the Museum of the U.S. Navy very special for us to honor and remember the at the US Navy Yard in Washington, DC. VADM For more news from USS Frank Cable (AS 40), visit crews of these ships with the other nations." Swift met with Association leaders recently (see p. www.navy.mil/local/as40/. 9). He formerly served as Central Command, commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine, and During the ceremony, the crew of Frank Cable commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. During those tours he manned the rails in their dress white uniforms participated in combat Operations Praying Mantis, as salutes were rendered and wreaths were Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi lowered from the aft quarterdeck into the Freedom. He became director, Navy Staff in water above the wreckage of each ship. Frank September 2013. On 21 November 2014 VADM Cable conducts maintenance and support on Swift was nominated for his fourth star and submarines and surface vessels deployed in assignment as Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility and is currently on a regularly scheduled underway period. For more information about USS Frank Cable (AS-40), visit: www.cable.navy.mil Page 2 From the desk of the Executive Director John K. Schwarz *President Sue Kreutzer, Treasurer Pam Foster and the rest of the reunion team continue to work hard at organizing the upcoming gathering in Houston on 6-7 March 2015 (See p. 16-17 for more information). A reminder particularly to our newer members: reunions of one kind or another have a long standing tradition since this Association was formed some 67 years ago. Since the beginning they have been survivor-fraternal in nature. But especially since the 1995 dedication of the USS Houston (CA-30) Monument in Houston, our reunions have featured the honoring of all USS Houston CA-30 crewmen: those who died the night of 1 March 1942; those who have left us since then; and, those who are still able to be with us in person. The honoring of the crew has become the reunion’s main purpose and we must collectively ensure that tradition is respected and upheld. *We continue to support two active scholarship programs. The “internal scholarship” program continues to need your funding support and high-quality applicants. The 2015 scholarship winner will be announced at the forthcoming reunion. We hope our members will spread the word among our younger folks that our scholarship program exists to help them. Fully funded, our U.S. Naval Academy scholarship continues on in sequence which is bi-annually. I'd like to ask your consideration as we come close to the end of this calendar year, to contribute monetarily to the Association whatever you might be able to as we exist solely on the good graces of your donations. Expenses are always kept to an absolute bare minimum, yet thresholds are required to distribute newsletters, conduct reunions, etc. Any questions about any funds are welcomed. We thank each of you in advance for your consideration in this area. *We continue to pay close attention to the condition of the sunken USS Houston CA-30 as well as HMAS Perth. Recent U.S. Navy findings confirm continued damage being made to the ship has come from these known sources: weather/environmental conditions; and continued dive and/or salvaging activities. Our Association has a primary interest in protecting the condition of the ship as a war grave. Our efforts will continue to try to ensure that factors contributing to the deterioration of the Houston and Perth are minimized. Any questions regarding these matters are welcomed. *Membership: What is membership to you? That is a question I pose to you for consideration. I like to believe that membership is synonymous with 'contribution'. Without contributing members no organization can be successful. There is good reason this beloved Association has been around for 67 years; it has always had any number of folks that go beyond “the call of duty” in contributing to what makes all of the positive outcomes a reality. I am the proud son of one such living individual who has made countless contributions for that entire time span. I also have the honor of working with three other peers that contribute day in and day out, as we speak. Remember: we are here to honor each and every crewmember of the USS Houston CA-30 be they one's Dad, uncle, grandfather or whatever. Any and all of you who contribute something: be it a monetary donation; helping out functionally; showing support for the ideals of the Association; or taking part in a reunion activity—all of these things make this Association prosper. To those who contribute something—our many thanks. *Many members of the Houston Family were able to attend the burial of survivor David Flynn at Arlington National Cemetery on October 9, 2014. Five USS Houston CA-30 shipmates have now been brought together and laid to rest together, all in section 12 of the cemetery. We are grateful to those who helped in the effort to bring these men together in that manner to 'still stand watch over Sunda Strait' in relatively close proximity, as shipmates, in this most prestigious veterans’ cemetery in our nation’s capital. John Son of Otto and Trudy Schwarz Page 3 Ellis B.
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