AH-FONG

LOST  AT  SEA

Although historical records are scarce concerning Fong Ah, they reveal that he was a Mess Attendant First Class assigned to the USS HOUSTON (CA-30) where he was apparently the personal steward of the commanding officer, CAPT Albert H. Rooks.  Fong Ah was probably born in China as Navy records report that Shanghai was his home town. 

On the night of February 28, 1942, HOUSTON was steaming with the Australian cruiser HMAS PERTH when they unexpectedly found themselves in the midst of a very large Japanese fleet headed for an invasion of Java.  Neither side apparently detected the other in the dark until PERTH detected a ship which turned out to be a Japanese destroyer and engaged it in battle.  Although the two Allied cruisers found themselves vastly outgunned by the large Japanese fleet that surrounded them, the two cruisers chose to engage the Japanese in an attempt to sink as many of the enemy transports as possible and HOUSTON purposely turned into the heart of the Japanese fleet.  During the fierce Battle of Sunda Strait which ended just after midnight, the two Allied cruisers were both sunk. 

When it became apparent that HOUSTON was mortally wounded and sinking, CAPT Rooks gave the “abandon ship” order and left the bridge.  As he was saying goodbye to several of his officers and men outside his cabin, a Japanese shell exploded nearby sending a piece of metal crashing into his chest.  He died shortly thereafter in the arms of his crewmembers.  Survivors reported that when MATT1 Ah learned that his Captain had been killed, he refused to leave the ship and simply sat cross-legged outside the Captain’s cabin, rocking back and forth and moaning, “Captain dead.  HOUSTON dead.  Buda die too.”  He went down with the ship and his body was never recovered.  MATT1 Fong Ah was officially declared dead on September 15, 1945, and his name has been inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)