News of 2008 USS Houston Dive Team

Also noted at the USS HOUSTON BLOG.
Ranger's Blog 2008 Dive
Rangers Web for USS Houston

From: William Deertz [mailto:wdeertz@wdeertz.net]
Jerry, saw your write up on your recent dive trip to the USS Houston. Wish I had known a group of you were coming as I would have liked to join the expedition. I am a US expat and have been living in Jakarta for the past 11 years. A group of us dove the USS Houston on the 60^th anniversary of the sinking. You can see a few photos and a short video I put together from this trip at this link As you’ll know from diving it the visibility is poor so in the video its often difficult to make out where you are at. I would have liked to get more wide angle from outside the wreck but the poor visibility makes this difficult.
Here is a 2007 PHOTO Album from another earlier Ranger Dive.

Battle of Badoeng Strait

Battle of Badoeng Strait: World War II Naval Duel off Bali
The Allied strike force reached Badoeng Strait too late to stop the Japanese invasion -- and the one transport they found was defended by two tenacious destroyers. This article was written by Tom Womack and originally appeared in the February 1996 issue of World War II magazine. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today!
http://www.historynet.com/magazines/world_war_2/3788187.html
Here is another article too: http://smmlonline.com/articles/badoeng.html , another detailed article by: Felipe C. Ramirez. (courtesy Johan VanLeer)

USS Houston 2008 Memorial Service

This was put together by Tim Joseph (timjjoseph@comcast.net).
http://www.timjoseph.com/USSHouston2008/
Instructions for downloading: When you see one you would like to use click on the small floppy disk icon in the lower right corner of the screen just to the left of the music control icon. A window will open with the same image you are viewing and this new window allows you to Right click over it
and Save Picture As, Email Picture, Print Picture etc.

Love knows no depth

http://www.srpressgazette.com/news/jerry_2796___article.html/survivors_houst
on.html
This story from the PRESS GAZETTE tells about Jerry Ranger of Milton. I know Jerry well since I continue to work with this group after the DVD about the Houston was completed "LAST STAND OF USS HOUSTON" www.buzzcreek.com (years ago). It will be educatinal to watch Jerry's letters and blogs as he goes through with this dive in Indonesia. If you are aware of people who'd like the hear Jerry talk about the Houston or this dive - he can be reached
in the local phonebook.

It is amazing to me how little known the USS Houston is ... The story of its life and death in battle with the Asiatic Fleet is legendary to serious students of the Pacific War .. but it neer seems to break into the greater public consciousness. Only this year .. in December - for the first time - will a speaker from the Houston organization be honored to talk at the Pearl Harbor memorial services. The curtain of the war dropped down just West of Pearl Harbor for the first 6 months after the war began. The reason is things were not going well.In 3 monts the Asiatic Fleet was on the bottom.

The Houston (Flagship fo the Asiatic Fleet) and the entire fleet as well as fleets of Britain, Australia and Holland were all banded together and nearly all were destroyed after 3 months of horrific fighting. Yet all we hear about is Pearl Harbor. The Asiatic Fleet is lost to the History Channel (I was once told by their people that since few photos and no film survived the battles they could not do a story on it (even more reason to do one -- think of it -- lots of film was shot but all of it went t the bottom - without film we are to forget them?).

I hope you read the article and share it around. Jerry's Dad lived in Milton for years - was an appliance repairman for White's. The man saved the Houston once from a magazine explosion by going down into a burning gun mount to flood the powder. He went up under fire one time (in a big battle - not the last one) and replaced the American Flag that had been shot away.
John Ranger was an amazing man. Walter Winslow who was also in the Houston - later wrote a book called "THE FLEET THE GODS FORGOT". He used to live in Milton.

www.usshouston.org
New book about The USS EDSALL ...Lost without a trace (part of this Asiatic Fleet). Had just picked up survivors from the USS Langley (you know the road in Pensacola? - The navy's FIRST Aircraft Carrier). http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Galaxy/3070/jjedsall.htm
The book ... http://www.zenithpress.com/Store/ProductDetails_39721.ncm

A BLUE SEA OF BLOOD (by my friend = Don Kehn

Mysterious Fate of the USS Edsall

http://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Sea-Blood-Deciphering-Mysterious/dp/076033353X

A Blue Sea Of Blood: Deciphering the Mysterious Fate of the USS Edsall (Hardcover) by Donald M Kehn Jr. Don is a good friend of the Asiatic Fleet and the USS Houston Associations. This work is bound to be important to every student of the Pacific War - WWII. (vic)

Naval History - The Panay

http://navalwarfare.blogspot.com/2007/10/uss-panay.html
This is an excellent article about the USS Panay. Other Asiatic Fleet ships are noted int this excellent blog as well. Visit it and enjoy the reading.

USS Trinity Vets

From the Beaconnewsonline.com ....
The U.S.S. Trinity (AO-13) was assigned to the United States Asiatic Fleet and participated in the early battles of World War II in the Dutch East Indies sector. The ship refueled many of our combat vessels and had a record period of five years at sea before returning to the United States. With the number 13 she proved to be lucky as she avoided and survived Japanese attacks.

Crew members of the Trinity will be honored guests at the weekly Recruit Graduation Review at the Naval Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes on Friday. A special tour of the Naval Station Great Lakes and dining in the sailors' mess deck will highlight their visit, hosted by Capt. Annie B. Andrews USN, Commander of the Naval Recruit Training Command Great Lakes.

Highlighting the reunion will be the ship's banquet on Saturday. Guest speakers will be Lt. Col. Bob Wills, USMC (ret). He is a graduate of Western Illinois University and was commissioned in 1976 and assigned to flight training at Pensacola, Fla. He served 22 years on active duty, covering worldwide assignments, including combat operations in Operation Desert Storm. He is currently a pilot for American Airlines and resides in Frankfort, Ill., with his wife, Debbie.

Fair Winds and Following Seas - Walter Ashe

Asiatic Fleet Historian: Walter F. Ashe, Lt.SC, USN (Ret) (91) died July 26, 2007. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, he was the son of Walter F. Ashe, Sr. and Genevieve (Ashe) Ross. Walter a decorated Navy Supply Corps Lieutenant served in WWII and the Korean conflict and retired from the U. S. Navy, after 30 years honorable service, in Key West, Fla. on October 1, 1966.

Among the many ships and stations he served, two were his favorites: the USS ASHEVILLE (PG21) and the battle-ship North Carolina (BB-55) 1941-1943. He served in all enlisted ratings, promoted to warrant officer in 1945 and selected for Lieutenant in 1961.

During WW II, he received the Navy Unit Commendation, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, China Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (9-stars), World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Liberation Ribbon (2-stars), and United Nation’s Medal.

Upon retirement from the U. S. Navy at NAS Key West, he undertook a career as a professional artist and opened the Key West Guild Hall Gallery. In 1983, he moved his family to Asheville, NC. In 1984, he organized, with the sponsorship of the Asheville Citizen-Times, a reunion for the former USS ASHEVILLE sailors who perished during battle in World War II on March 3, 1942. It became a permanent organization. He established the Naval Exhibit at the City Hall to display artifacts from the four warships named after our city. For these efforts, he received the 1992 Western North Carolina Historical Society Achievement Award. In 1986, then Mayor Louis Bisette appointed him to a committee to achieve a new warship named after our city. With his help, the members of the committee saw the USS ASHEVILLE (SSN-758) commissioned September 28, 1991.

In 1998, he relieved Rear Admiral Kemp Tolley, USN (RET) as editor of the Navy newsletter China GunBoatMan. He held that position until December 2006.

He was a member of the Asheville Fleet Reserve Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a volunteer for the Asheville Police Department, and a member of St. Eugene Catholic Church while in Asheville. He recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida to Fleet Landing to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife Adelaide Florence Brooks Ashe, one daughter Marilyn Joan (Ashe) Wilson of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., a son Walter John Ashe, from Canyon Country, Cal., and grandchildren Mark Lewin, Michael Lewin, Jenna Rogers, Jaret Rogers. Ian Ashe, Vernon Ashe, Jada Ashe, Brooke Ashe, Danielle Bernal. Great grandchildren are Alan Lewin, Jessica Lewin, and Matthew Lewin.

The funeral was 11 AM July 30 at Ponte Vedra Valley Funeral Home, 4750 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Interment Ponte Vedra Valley Cemetery in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Naval Warfare: USS Asheville (PG-21)

Naval Warfare: USS Asheville (PG-21)This Naval Warfare Blog features the USS Asheville. Excellent resource!

POWs bombed by the US Air Corps

Click To Play

Three veterans of WW2 talk about an incident that put them all in the same place one day. Two are former POW's who were in Japanese ships being bombed by the other veteran. The story of the POWS is recounted in more detail at www.usshouston.org. A video about the epic story of the USS Houston is available from www.buzzcreek.com .

ABDA not entirely Lost to History

One blogger out there has a handle on the history surrounding this group and the Asiatic Fleet. Here is a great link for those who'd like to see what is being said.

USS EDSALL - FILMS

Jim Nix - Grandson of JJ NIX, the Skipper of the doomed USS Edsall now has a DVD for you. The DVD is a collection of films shot on a movie camera by his grandfather in the days before WWII broke out in the Pacific. This is great archieval film! Get a copy. Send him $12. Mail your order to Jim Nix 3010 LBJ Frwy # 1250 Dallas, TX 75234 .