Saturday, April 7th, 2001:
Friends, family and survivors of the USS Houston CA-30 attended the 6th annuyal USS Houston CA-30 Memorial Service on March 3rd, 2001 at the USS Houston Monument site in Sam Houston Park, Houston, Texas. The HMAS Perth (an Australian cruiser) and the USS Houston were the only two allied ships in Asiatic waters after heavy losses during the Battle of the Java Sea. Only 368 Houston crew members survived the Battle of Sunda Strait and were taken prisoners of war by the Japanese for 3 1/2 years. Another 77 men perished die to torture, disease and starvation while working on the "Death Railway in Burma/Thailand.

Representatives of the ABDA (Allied flle of American, British, Dutch and Australian ships) came to participate in the wreath laying ceremony along with a crew member of the current USS Houston SSN-713.

This ceremony honors the men that gave the ulitmate sacrifice for our freedoms, those who died enslaved in the POW camps, our loved ones that were liberated & have since died, and show our gratitude for our liberties to those survivors still among us.