311F Fall 2026 USS Houston CA-30/POW Experience

This delivery will cover the story of the USS Houston CA-30, a brave American warship that served in the Asia West Pacific during the early months of WWII. It continues to chronicle the remainder of the war for the modest number of her survivors (ship sunk 03/01/1942), who were held as POWs by the Japanese. Most of those men were forced into labor by their captors helping to build the “Burma-Thailand Death Railway”. That railway was featured in the 1957 epic war movie titled, Bridge on the River Kwai. Herein, the true saga of that ordeal will be offered.

John K. Schwarz has been familiar with this story for a lifetime as the son of one of the USS Houston CA-30 survivors. He is a retired government worker and also a certified school teacher. He appreciates veterans and their service to America.