[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 37 (Thursday, March 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1574-S1575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING OF THE USS ``HOUSTON''

  Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of the 
sinking of the USS Houston (CA-30), the ``flagship'' of the U.S. 
Asiatic Fleet, which fought bravely against the Imperial Japanese Navy 
Battle Fleet. During an engagement on March 1, 1942, the USS Houston 
and the Australian cruiser HMAS Perth were sunk at the Battle of Sunda 
Strait, suffering a combined loss of nearly 1,000 servicemen; the 
surviving sailors and marines became prisoners of war. After the war, 
it was revealed that they had been sent to Japan and then transferred 
to the mainland and used as slave labor for construction of the Thai-
Burma Railway. Only 266 men from the Houston's complement of 1,008 and 
214 of the Perth's complement of 681 returned home after the war.
  The news of this horrific loss hit the Lone Star state hard, but with 
typical Texan gusto and determination, it prompted a mass recruiting 
drive for volunteers to replace the lost crew. On Memorial Day 1942, a 
crowd of nearly 200,000 witnessed 1,000 ``Houston Volunteers'' inducted 
into the Navy. An accompanying bond drive raised over $85 million, 
enough to pay for a new cruiser and an aircraft carrier, the USS San 
Jacinto. This historic event speaks to the American spirit and grit as 
well as our enduring alliance with Australia.
  In honor of this occasion, we remember the brave men of Texas, and 
all of those from the Greatest Generation, who gave so much to preserve 
freedom

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in the Pacific and fight for America. They fought for country and 
liberty in the face of impossible odds. These sailors, soldiers, and 
marines represent America's unbeatable determination.

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