THE CITY REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF AMERICA'S MOST DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE
Goodman Legion Float To Honor Two Lost Sailors
The USS Houston and British Hmas Perth were cornered and sunk in the Sunda Straits off the Java Sea during World War II. Both ships were in the straits in an attempt to establish contact with a lost battalion of the 131st Texas National Guard. The Texas unit had lost contact with any command structure and was designated as a lost battalion.
The USS Houston was known as “The Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast” because the Japanese had reported having sunk her on a number of occasions, only to have the Houston show up again and again.
The Japanese desire to sink her was because she was a flag ship, which meant an admiral was using her as a command ship for the task force.
Also President Franklin Roosevelt used her on many Naval meetings from the time he was Undersecretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson to the time he became President.
These two young sailors from Goodman were lost at sea when The Houston was sunk.
They were declared Missing in Action and later declared Lost at Sea upon the sinking of the USS Houston.
The Goodman American Legion Post 325 will feature a float in the Goodman-Armstrong Creek School Homecoming parade to honor the two lost sailors from Goodman, James Dickie and George Sando Rocque when the USS Houston was sunk during World War II.
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