As the USS Houston shuddered and burned under the fire of an entire Japanese fleet in the battle of Sunda Strait, Lee – the field music on duty – was ordered to perform a call he would have imagined only in his nightmares.
Captain Albert H.Rooks summoned the ship’s Marine bugler, Jack Lee. “In a strong, resolute voice,” Lt. Walter Winslow recalled, “Rooks spoke the fateful words: ‘Bugler, sound abandon ship.’” Private Lloyd Willey marveled at the clarity of the horn player’s tone. “He never missed one beat on that bugle. It would have been absolutely beautiful if it had been anywhere else but at that time.” Lee blew his clean tones into the ship’s PA system. The abandon ship order went out over the battle telephones and the general announcing system
Almost immediately after Lee’s call went out, a Japanese salvo slammed into the Houston near the signal bridge, mortally wounding Captain Rooks and killing nearly everyone else nearby. This may have been the end of Jack Lee; his final bugle call was the last recorded incidence of anyone seeing him alive. He was lost in the sinking of the Houston, considered lost as of March 1, 1942.
Captain Albert H.Rooks summoned the ship’s Marine bugler, Jack Lee. “In a strong, resolute voice,” Lt. Walter Winslow recalled, “Rooks spoke the fateful words: ‘Bugler, sound abandon ship.’” Private Lloyd Willey marveled at the clarity of the horn player’s tone. “He never missed one beat on that bugle. It would have been absolutely beautiful if it had been anywhere else but at that time.” Lee blew his clean tones into the ship’s PA system. The abandon ship order went out over the battle telephones and the general announcing system
Almost immediately after Lee’s call went out, a Japanese salvo slammed into the Houston near the signal bridge, mortally wounding Captain Rooks and killing nearly everyone else nearby. This may have been the end of Jack Lee; his final bugle call was the last recorded incidence of anyone seeing him alive. He was lost in the sinking of the Houston, considered lost as of March 1, 1942.
As the USS Houston shuddered and burned under the fire of an entire Japanese fleet in the battle of Sunda Strait, Lee – the field music on duty – was ordered to perform a call he would have imagined only in his nightmares.
Captain Albert H.Rooks summoned the ship’s Marine bugler, Jack Lee. “In a strong, resolute voice,” Lt. Walter Winslow recalled, “Rooks spoke the fateful words: ‘Bugler, sound abandon ship.’” Private Lloyd Willey marveled at the clarity of the horn player’s tone. “He never missed one beat on that bugle. It would have been absolutely beautiful if it had been anywhere else but at that time.” Lee blew his clean tones into the ship’s PA system. The abandon ship order went out over the battle telephones and the general announcing system
Almost immediately after Lee’s call went out, a Japanese salvo slammed into the Houston near the signal bridge, mortally wounding Captain Rooks and killing nearly everyone else nearby. This may have been the end of Jack Lee; his final bugle call was the last recorded incidence of anyone seeing him alive. He was lost in the sinking of the Houston, considered lost as of March 1, 1942.
Captain Albert H.Rooks summoned the ship’s Marine bugler, Jack Lee. “In a strong, resolute voice,” Lt. Walter Winslow recalled, “Rooks spoke the fateful words: ‘Bugler, sound abandon ship.’” Private Lloyd Willey marveled at the clarity of the horn player’s tone. “He never missed one beat on that bugle. It would have been absolutely beautiful if it had been anywhere else but at that time.” Lee blew his clean tones into the ship’s PA system. The abandon ship order went out over the battle telephones and the general announcing system
Almost immediately after Lee’s call went out, a Japanese salvo slammed into the Houston near the signal bridge, mortally wounding Captain Rooks and killing nearly everyone else nearby. This may have been the end of Jack Lee; his final bugle call was the last recorded incidence of anyone seeing him alive. He was lost in the sinking of the Houston, considered lost as of March 1, 1942.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Texas.
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