WWII · Battle Death Record
Albert Rooks
Captain, U.S. Navy · Washington
Medal of Honor
Personnel File — Core Information
- Name
- Albert Rooks
- Entered the Service From
- Washington
- Rank
- Captain
- Service
- U.S. Navy
- Unit / Regiment
- USS Houston (CA-30)
- War
- WWII
- Date of Death
- March 1, 1942
- Awards
- Medal of Honor
- Burial / Memorial
- Commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
- Grave
- Tablets of the Missing
Their story
As commanding officer of the heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30), Captain Rooks displayed extraordinary heroism and gallantry in action against superior Japanese aerial and surface forces from 4 to 27 February 1942, inflicting heavy damage while his ship sustained severe losses. He was killed on the bridge by enemy-inflicted wounds and went down with his ship during the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942; his body was buried at sea and never recovered.
Compiled from American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and National Archives (NARA) records and public sources.
This record is one of more than 200,000 in our historical archive. Some information may have been corrupted or lost over decades of data conversion. Corrections are welcome — please contact the archive.