Never give up! These three words embody the spirit of surviving sailors and marines who served aboard the cruiser USS Indianapolis when she was torpedoed by the crew of a Japanese submarine near the end of World War II. Twin blasts sent the distinguished warship to the bottom in twelve minutes, leaving hundreds of crewmen adrift in the Philippine Sea.

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Just days before, the captain and crew of Indianapolis had earned a footnote in history by delivering components of the first operational atomic bomb from San Francisco Bay to an airbase on Tinian Island nearly six thousand miles away. They sailed alone from Tinian westward and into the crosshairs of the submarine. For four days and five nights following the sinking, the crew faced thirst, drowning, exposure, and sharks—and uncertainty about whether rescuers would ever come. Of one thousand one hundred and ninety-five aboard, only three hundred and sixteen survived.  

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Traits Indianapolis survivors shared in the water to handle their ordeals included teamwork, tenacity, and doggedness. Many also drew strength from promises made to loved ones that they would come home. Shadowing them was fate, the men unlucky to be adrift yet lucky to be alive. All watched as luck ran out for buddies, exposure and endlessness asking too much of mind and body, or sharks staining the water red where a buddy had been. Young men resolved to live while coming to terms with dying, opposing extremes that challenged their resolve afterward to live ordinary lives.

 

Teamwork, tenacity, and doggedness can be learned. These traits underlie an exciting program about an incredible story of honor and survival. In March 2021, USS Indianapolis Legacy Organization’s Education Committee aired a two-part webinar that presented the history of Indianapolis and a universal message from her crew to never give up. Guest presenters included authors Sara Vladic and Lynn Vincent; lost-at-sea family members Earl Henry and Michael Emery; Jane Goodall, daughter of rescue pilot Chuck Gwinn; Captain Bill Toti, Retired Captain of the submarine USS Indianapolis (SSN-697); and one of our cherished Indianapolis survivors, Dick Thelen. Both webinars were hosted by Jim Belcher, Jr., son of survivor Jim Belcher.

 

Did You Miss Our Two-Part Webinar–The Story of USS Indianapolis (CA-35)? Stay tuned for an exclusive, encore showing of both parts during our upcoming 76th Reunion!

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Part I - Focus:  1932 launch, World War II missions, and the ship’s tragic sinking

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Part II - Focus:  Survival, rescue, and the effort to exonerate the ship’s captain: Captain Charles B. McVay III

   

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         --Robert Cantrell, Member of the USS Indianapolis Legacy Organization’s Education Committee