Enviro News Asia, West Java – Indonesia and the United States held parallel commemorative ceremonies to mark the 84th anniversary of the sinking of USS Houston (CA-30) during World War II, honoring the sailors who lost their lives in the Battle of Sunda Strait on February 28, 1942.
On February 28, 2026, a flower-laying ceremony took place aboard the KRI Bung Tomo (357) of the Indonesian Navy while sailing in the Sunda Strait, West Java. The event commemorated the naval battle that led to the sinking of the U.S. heavy cruiser USS Houston after it was struck by torpedoes fired by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
A similar memorial ceremony was held on March 7, 2026, at the USS Houston CA-30 Monument in Houston, Texas, United States.
The ceremony in the Sunda Strait was attended by Peter Haymond, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, while the ceremony in Houston was led by Indroyono Soesilo, Ambassador of the Indonesia to the United States, who laid a wreath at the memorial site.
The commemoration in Houston was also attended by Ourina Ritonga, Consul General of Indonesia in Houston; Indonesian Naval Attaché Yudi Ardian; John K. S. Schwarz, Executive Director of the USS Houston CA-30 Survivors Association and Next Generation; family members of USS Houston crew; representatives from Australia, United Kingdom, and Netherlands; World War II veterans; and cadets from naval academies.
In his remarks, Ambassador Indroyono expressed condolences and deep sympathy to the families of the USS Houston crew. He emphasized that the sailors who died in the Sunda Strait must always be honored, noting that their sacrifice should never be forgotten.
He also stressed the shared responsibility of Indonesia and the United States to preserve the wreck site of USS Houston, which is considered the final resting place of approximately 693 sailors who perished in the battle.
In 2014, during CARAT 2014 naval exercises, the Indonesian Navy and the United States Navy conducted a joint survey and diving operation at the wreck site, located about 20 nautical miles from Merak Port in Banten. The two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation to locate and recover the remains of U.S. soldiers who died during World War II while preserving historical battle sites across Indonesian waters.
During the event, Ambassador Indroyono invited descendants of the USS Houston crew to attend future commemorations directly at the ship’s sinking site in the Sunda Strait. Plans were also announced to install a commemorative plaque displaying the geographical coordinates of the wreck at the USS Houston monument in Houston.
Historically, on the night of February 28, 1942, the heavy cruiser USS Houston, carrying 1,068 crew members, unexpectedly encountered Japanese naval forces in the Sunda Strait. Together with the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth, the ship engaged Japanese warships in a fierce battle.
Japanese forces fired 87 torpedoes during the engagement, followed by heavy gunfire. Both Allied ships were sunk within a short period. The battle resulted in the deaths of 693 USS Houston sailors, while Japanese forces also lost a minesweeper and a troop transport ship.
The loss of USS Houston remains one of the most tragic moments in American maritime history. Named after the city of Houston, the vessel carried the name of the Texas city into the Pacific theater and became a symbol of the Allied defense of the Dutch East Indies during the Japanese invasion. (*)
