Floyd Wesley Barron
Private Floyd W. “Wesley” Adams served with the Marine detachment aboard USS Houston (CA-30).
He was reported missing in action at the battle of Sunda Strait, Indonesia, on 1 March 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 312365
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 7, 1917
in Lillie, LA
Parents
John Archer Barron
Clara Lillie (Denton) Barron (d. 1938)
Education
Bernice High School
Occupation & Employer
Armstrong Featherweight Decoy Co.
(Houston, TX)
Service Life
Entered Service
June 3, 1941
at Houston, TX
Home Of Record
Lillie, LA
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr John A. Barron
Military Specialty
Ship’s Detachment
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Wesley Barron joined the USS Houston in the fall of 1941 and served aboard her in the Philippines before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On the night of 28 February 1942, a small flotilla of Allied ships, including the Houston, was engaged by a superior Japanese fleet in the Java Sea. After a ferocious fight, the Houston went down in the waters of Sunda Strait. Several hundred of her complement escaped the sinking ship and struggled in the water for hours before being picked up and taken prisoner.
Private Barron was not seen after the sinking. His remains were never found, and he was declared dead on 15 December 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered. The Houston wreck is considered his final resting place.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. John A. Barron.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the USSÂ Houston wreck site.
