The Memorial erected on the occasion of Induction of Houston Volunteers.
A drive in May 1942 for volunteers to replace the men lost on Houston culminated in the acceptance of 1,650 men for service in the Navy. A limit of 1,000 was set for the "Houston Volunteers" group.[1] At the same time, war bond subscriptions totaling $85m[3] were raised to completely pay for another ship named for the city, the light cruiser Houston (CL-81), with enough left over to pay for the light aircraft carrierSan Jacinto (CVL-30).[4]
At 6 pm[5] on Memorial Day, 30 May 1942, a mass rally and induction ceremony took place in downtown Houston, the namesake city for the lost ship. The 1,000-man "Houston Volunteers" paraded with several hundred Navy officers and men through downtown Houston, and were accompanied by four bands. Forty-eight bombers based at nearby Ellington Field overflew the festivities.[6]
Not one of us doubts that the thousand naval recruits sworn in today will carry on with the same spirit shown by the gallant men who have gone before them. Not one of us doubts that every true Texan and every true American will back up these new fighting men, with all our hearts and all our efforts.[1]
A crowd estimated at 150,000[3] to 200,000[7] witnessed the ceremony. After a 60-foot model of Houston was dedicated, the crowd saw off the departing inductees, who immediately marched to Union Station to travel to training in San Diego on five special trains.[5]
One young man, Robert E. Bradley, was 16 and too young to enlist, but was nonetheless still allowed to participate because his older brother Leonard was lost when Houston (CA-30) went down.[8] He was sworn in on the train three days later when he turned 17[3] by Lt. Cmdr. Simon L. Shade, the same officer who had sworn in his older brother two years before.[8]
With a 19-month period between the May 1942 enlistment into service of the 1,000 Houston Volunteer sailors and the final December 1943 commissioning into service of the new Houston (CL-81), only one Houston Volunteer went on to specifically serve aboard the new Houston.[9]
On 11 November 1995, a memorial to Houston (CA-30) was dedicated near the spot where the "Houston Volunteers" were inducted.[12] The monument design features the ship’s bell, which was recovered by divers after the end of the war.[13]