USS HOUSTON CA 30
“The galloping Ghost of
the
"Granddaughter of USS Houston Living Survivor denied
Scholarship!"
A 93 year old survivor who has been attending these
reunion's for 16 straight years, bringing his family, his Grand Daughter almost
every year since she was 3 and the one main reason he hung on to his life this
year was to see his shipmate Howard Brooks and his Grand Daughter receive the
Scholarship at the 2013 reunion. Three and one half years of hell in a Japanese
Prison Camp couldn't do what this did....broke him.
The USS Houston Northampton Cruiser
was first launched in the1930’s. Soon after, the Houston gained a place in the
annals of US Naval history. President Roosevelt highly favored the beautiful
cruiser, calling her a “spit and polish ship”. The cruiser was well equipped
with weapons, supplies, and a lightning fast engine. Soon after the attack on
Pearl Harbor, the Houston acted as a protector for American allies in the South
Pacific. For a seeming eternity the fateful morning of March 1st approached. Before the sun even rose to meet the
dawn, countless lives were stolen away. The day the USS Houston went down marks
a day that will never be forgotten. All of the men who lost their lives that
morning deserve our undying gratitude. Through their courage and fearlessness
arose a dedication to their country that will forever be remembered. I am
honored to be writing on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.
“The Great Depression caused the beginning of our families misfortune”, David
Flynn said. “Before the War our family led a very privileged life. However,
before the War my father lost his job, and we were left with nothing but each
other. In High school life progressively became worse. I wore the same pair of
shoes for as long as I can remember. The soles of my shoes were covered in
magazines to help protect my feet. In those days hitchhiking was a safe way to
get to school faster. People would pick you up, knowing that you wouldn’t rob
them. It got to the point where you had regular people that would pick you up.
One of my rides was a Naval Recruiter from the USS Houston. Every couple of
months he would give us new literature, such as, Joint the Navy, learn a
trade”. (Flynn, David, personal interview, 2012). During that time David
Flynn’s struggle brought him to sign up for the navy. Joining the USS Houston,
offered “new shoes and a new life”. “At the time it seemed like a good idea.
Millions of people just like my family were out of work, there was no option to
not join”. (Flynn, David, personal interview, 2012) David Flynn is my
grandfather, and this is his story.
“Life continued on, although I missed my family dearly. I was off to basic
training. After many vigorous months I began my job as a Dental Assistant.
Although, teeth were not my forte, I didn’t argue. However after many
uneventful weeks, I begged my Captain to give me another job and send me to
sea! After much deliberation the Captain sent me to sea and I was given the
title of Seaman 2nd Class. However once I arrived onboard (the USS Houston) I knew this
wasn’t the job I envisioned. Every morning our crew would get up at 5 a.m. and
scrub the decks of the ship. Then after breakfast we would continue to do the
same thing. I realized that there was no future scrubbing decks”. (Flynn,
David, personal interview, 2012)
“Previously I had been an amateur radio operator, I knew that if I put my heart
into it that I could do it. As I stood outside the radio shack observing I said
to myself ‘oh, I can do that!’ Lieutenant Grove, who was standing beside me,
grabbed my arm, sat me down at one of the desks, and put a set of headphones on
me. Instinctively I started copying what I heard. At that very moment I knew
that this is where I belonged. I became a ‘Radioman Striker’ first, although it
wasn’t the most pleasant job, I knew that it was inevitable”. (Flynn, David,
personal interview 2012). To get to the top you must first start at the very
bottom. “A striker does any task that needs to be done, such as, making coffee.
During that time I was taking various courses and studying the material to
become a Radioman 3rd Class, which was my goal from the very beginning. The “Radioman 3rd Class, were referred to as the brains of the
ship”. (Flynn, David, personal interview 2012). His defining moment finally
arrived. With confidence David went up to the communication officer and told
him that he was ready to take the exam! As fate would have it, he passed the
exam with flying colors and there was an opening, reserved especially for him.
There are certain moments in our lives that define us. For David,
this was one of them. “One year before the war, our Commander in charge
of the Asiatic Fleet, Admiral Thomas Hart was convinced that war with Japan was
just around the corner. We were drilled relentlessly, day after day after
day, general quarters, battle stations, etc”. (Flynn, David, personal
interview, 2012). The following year the ship entered the navy yard at
Cavite, which was just outside of Manila. John Stark (radioman 2nd
class) and David Flynn entered one of the radio stations and communicated with
the PBY’s. “John Stark noticed that the PBY’s picked up Japanese Movement.
After we returned to our station I began to type out a message. Before I even
realize what it was I threw it in the basket. After a moment, I grabbed it from
the basket, the message declared Japan has declared hostilities, conduct
yourselves accordingly. Immediately we were ordered to leave, whatever we
couldn’t carry, we had to destroy. We left Manila about December 1st and headed towards the island of Iloilo. On that
same day, the Captain told us that the Japanese bombed the harbor of Iloilo and
set fire to one of the merchant ship’s.
Coincidently that evening Tokyo Rose broadcasted to the world that
Imperial Japanese forces sank The Houston. Tokyo Rose reported two more times
that the Houston was once again, sunk. This is where the ship received its
infamous name, The Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast”. (Flynn, David, personal
interview, 2012). This was a defining moment for the ship and her gallant crew-
the Houston was more than just a ship, she was a protector and she stood for a
truth that her crew was not going to give up without a fight.
The next several months were spent with convoying ships to help boost our
defenses with The Netherlands and Australia. In February forty-nine Japanese
bombers suddenly attacked the Houston. Unfortunately one of the bombs hit the
Houston, exploding inside Turret #3. The explosion wounded 25 and killed 48
men. One third of the Houston’s battery firepower was left in shambles.
“Coincidentally I was assigned there at the time. Doctor Clement Burroughs
worked endlessly to help each man that was injured”. (Flynn, David, personal
interview, 2012). Through his hard efforts many lives were saved that day.
A
few weeks later on February 15th the Houston attempted to unite with other troop ships from Port Darwin,
Australia. Their hopes were to fight off the Japanese and keep them underway.
After being attacked by over 50 Japanese aircraft, Captain Rooks began to
formulate a plan! The Houston defended the convoy by “circling at flank speed
and drawing the full attention of the planes. Captain Rooks learned a new
technique for avoiding bombs, he would lie on the deck, on his back, and ten
seconds after the Japanese planes had their bombs, he would order a hard turn
to port or starboard”. (Flynn, David, personal interview, 2012). This strategy caught the Japanese completely
off guard! The bombs would hit the side of the ship rather than hitting inside
the ship. The Houston was not going to give up willingly and neither were her
crewmembers.
Japanese
forces intended to advance toward the South China Sea and the Makassar Straits.
Their intent was to destroy everything in their path. The Houston headed north
to meet up with the new allied fleet in order to slow the enemy advance. From
the very inception the plan was doomed. The Commander in charge was a Dutch
Admiral. There were ships from different nations including England, Australia,
Holland, and the U.S. who had never worked with each other before. The only
problem standing in their way was language. To solve the problem a Dutch
officer was put onto each ship, Doorman would give the command in his native
language “Dutch” and after some time the command would be executed. The
American, British, Dutch, and Australia (ABDA) force was created. On February
27th the ABDA
and the Japanese met head on for what was the biggest naval battle since Jotland in World War one. “This also marks the last time
that ships met toe to toe for a traditional surface battle”. (Flynn, David,
personal interview, 2012). For over
seven hours the ships fought against each other and to defend themselves. Each
side suffered grievous losses. The HMS Perth and the Houston were the only two
Allied ships left standing. Both ships were commanded to disengage the enemy
and travel to the western port of Jakarta, refuel, and then proceed to the
Southern port of Tjilatjap. After arriving in Jakarta
on the morning of February 28th the Houston and the Perth found the port in utter chaos. The Dutch
already left and evacuated the scene. The Dutch air patrols reported that there
was no Japanese activity within the 250-mile span. The Houston along with the
Perth was confident that they could evacuate their troops to Australia and
finally get the rest they needed and deserved.
“Our supplies and ammunition were running dangerously low. We never once lost
hope, we knew in our hearts that we would make it and save others along the
way. We never predicted that this would happen. At 11 p.m. we were just outside
of the Sunda Straits at the Western end of Java when
the Perth spotted several Fubuki class Japanese
destroyers. We were completely outnumbered, there were over 55 Japanese
transports unloading troops, four cruisers, 13 destroyers, and many torpedo
boats. About an hour later the Perth took her fourth torpedo and went down. The
Houston stood strong until taking her fourth torpedo on the morning of March 1st, 1942. At 12:25 a.m. an abandon ship command was
ordered. The Japanese trapped us from every corner of the sea. As tears welled
up in my eyes, I knew it was time. I climbed up the leg of the mast and began
to run. I believe I was one of the last men to leave the ship. Torpedo’s and
bullets were flying all around us. As I took a chunk of shrapnel to my knee I
watched as Captain Rooks was hit with a bullet”. (Flynn, David, personal
interview, 2012). After David left, another crewmate, Ensign Smith, noticed a
prone figure lying unconscious on the floor; to his surprise it was his Captain!
“The left side of his head, left breast, and left shoulder were covered with
blood”. (Page 141, The Ghost That Died At Sunda
Strait). Ensign Smith injected the Captain with two shots of morphine, a few
moments later the Houston’s dauntless Captain passed away. As Ensign and his
partner Smith were about to abandon ship they noticed a small man cradling the
captain’s lifeless body. As they walked back they saw “Ah Fong, who was the
captain’s plump Chinese steward, he was called Buda. Buda kept rocking the Captain
back and forth as if he were peacefully sleeping. Buda kept repeating this
phrase over and over Captain die, Houston die, Buda die too”. (Page 141 The
Ghost That Died at Sunda Strait). The Captain and his
loyal steward went down with the Houston that fateful night.
As destiny would have it David Flynn kept racing towards the top of the ship,
preparing himself to “abandon ship”. “Once I reached the top of the ship, I
looked around at her beauty for one last time. After returning from a daze, I
noticed my crewmate Henry Stark lying on the ground. He threw me his life
jacket saying that he didn’t need it anymore; this life jacket was intended for
someone who would live. Without Henry Stark I may not be alive today. I gave
him my thanks and jumped off the ship into the water”. (Flynn, David, personal
interview, 2012). The Houston acted as a mother for all the men on the ship,
protecting and guiding them. Her legacy represents a message to the world; that
we must always be ready for the unexpected and treat today as if it were our
last. For David Flynn it could have been his last breath if it weren’t for
Henry Stark.
“As my body hit the
water, I felt total darkness come upon me. When I opened my eyes I knew that I
had to keep going. I told myself to keep swimming and maybe I’d make it to
land! I held my breath for as long as I could, only coming up for air when I
desperately needed it. Explosions jarred me as I swam. It felt like somebody
was tearing my stomach out! (Flynn, David, personal interview, 2012) He was in
the water for over 12 hours, when suddenly a Japanese boat came and fished him
out of the water. For the next three and a half years he served as a “Prisoner
of War” in Jakarta formally known as Java.
During this time, an insurance agent
visited David’s mother. Many believed that David, along with the crew of the
USS Houston, were all dead. However, his mother’s love was so strong that she knew her son was still out there
somewhere. Even though there was the possibility that he might be dead, she
never gave up hope that her son would return to her.
“Never once, did I give up hope. My motto I lived by for the next three and a
half years was, it might not be tomorrow, but the next day I’ll be reunited
with my family. As the Japanese were deciding what to do with us, they placed
us into a small movie theatre. All of the seats were removed, each prisoner was
seated in a cross legged manner. During this time, food was barely served. If
we got anything it would be a pittance of rice, boiling water, and Java Rabbit
(which was a cat). Each day more and more prisoners died of starvation and from
sanitary conditions. My left leg continued to swell, finally an Australian
doctor from the Perth operated on my leg”. (Flynn, David, personal interview). A
few weeks later David and the remaining survivors were transferred to a bicycle
camp in Jakarta. The Japanese selected many prisoners that appeared to be
strong and able to work on the Bridge on the River Kwai.
“I guess they took a look at me and figured that I would never make it down on
the dock, so I stayed there in the bicycle camp. We were ordered by the
Japanese to sign a document saying that we worked for Dai Nippon, and we would
never make an attempt to escape. Our officers ordered us not to sign. However,
every 15 minutes the Japanese would send what is known as the bashing squad.
They would yell, scream, and beat us senselessly with their rifle butts. We
knew in our hearts that this paper didn’t define us, so we signed the crummy
piece of paper. After that life settled into a monotonous routine of work
parties, being sick, and beating, etc. The working parties was extremely nerve
racking, we never knew what the Aussie’s were going to do let alone say. The Australians
were very blunt with the officers, they would cuss yell and at times fight back
against their superiors. To punish us the Japanese made us stand on a box while
they hit us back and forth in the face, they were ruthless when it came to
their prisoner’s, at times they would even mutilate people!” (Flynn, David,
personal interview, 2012).
After years of torture and brutalization, David and the surviving men recall a
moment that gave them the strength to live again. “One day the guard who spoke
a mixture of Japanese and English began describing huge explosions. At the
time, we didn’t know what it was, but it turned out to be the bombing of
Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Food and clothing were air dropped and the majority of
the Japanese officers vanished from our campsite. The army/air corps arrived
and took the remaining survivors to Singapore and then to Calcutta. From there
we remained in an Army Hospital for a few weeks to recover. Eventually, from
there I went to a hospital in New York City. I arrived back in the United
States in either late September or early October. I was ecstatic to see my
cousin Joanie and my mother. All I can
remember is tears of happiness as I hugged them both”. (Flynn, David, personal
interview, 2012). 1945- and Freedom had arrived!
Even though the Houston sank and
vanished into the sea, her memory continues to live on through her remaining
survivors. As a child I remember attending majority of the USS Houston’s
memorial services. Throughout the years, as I grew older and understood their
pain, I realized how much they all affected my life. Without the Houston and
her brave soldiers, many of us would not be alive today, if it weren’t for
their struggles. Our hardships and pain are nothing in comparison to what those
men were put through. The Houston represents an inseparable bond between the
brothers who would give their life for one another. As each bell sounds with
the passing of another survivor, the brothers will unite once more, for an
eternity at sea together. Their faces will remain forever young, and their
story will remain a timeless wonder. As each generation passes, and a new one
takes their place, the USS Houston’s story will continued to be told. Her
memory will remain forever cherished and greatly loved.
By Mary Flynn
Granddaughter of David C. Flynn
Living Survivor of Three and one half years of hell.
Japenese Prisoner Of War
The Death Railroad.
The right to freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the ICCPR states that "[e]veryone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". Article 19 goes on to say that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".[1][2]
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