I’m writing this on Veterans Day. Last week, in the run up to today there were several outstanding programs on TV. One of them was about sinking of the USS Indianapolis in World War II.
While I was working as a librarian on the reservation, I purchased a copy of Abandon Ship, a non-fiction recounting of the sinking of the Indianapolis. Because the ship’s ability to travel faster than any of the navy’s other vessels, it was chosen to carry the internal makings of the atomic bombs that were destined to end World War II from California across the Pacific.
Due to the top-secret nature of the cargo on board, several important steps were skipped in scheduling the sailing, including failure to provide information on the ship’s time departure from port and the ETA for arrival at its final destination.
After dropping off its payload, the ship continued sailing westward towards the Philippines, but without anyone on that end of the voyage knowing when it was due to arrive. Because no enemy submarines were known to be in the area, the ship traveled without being accompanied by destroyers. And, having been told that the coast was clear, the ship’s captain chose to set a straight course rather than making the zigzag movements that were thought to help avoid enemy torpedoes.
Unfortunately, there was an enemy submarine present, and the torpedoes fired from that vessel took the USS Indianapolis down in a matter of minutes, trapping many sailors below decks. Nine hundred of the twelve hundred sailors on board survived the initial sinking by leaping into the shark-infested waters of the Pacific where they lingered for the next agonizing five days before anyone noticed the ship was missing or came looking for them.
By the time rescuers arrived, they were able to save only a third of the original nine hundred survivors. Over the intervening days many of the victims had succumbed to their original injuries while others were killed by shark attacks or dehydration.
In the aftermath of the sinking, Captain Charles McVay, who was one of the three hundred survivors and who was also the last person to leave the sinking ship, was court marshaled. One of the charges leveled against him included his not giving the order to abandon ship sooner. The number I remember from reading the book all those years ago was that he issued the abandon ship order seven minutes after the attack. The Indianapolis sank in twelve.
McVay was also charged with not using the approved zigzag maneuver which, supposedly, would have made it possible for the ship to avoid being hit by torpedoes. One of the defense witnesses in the courtroom, however, happened to be the captain of the Japanese submarine that had destroyed the Indianapolis. He said that the Japanese Navy had found ways to subvert the zigzag maneuver and that the ship would have been doomed regardless.
McVay was reprimanded by the Navy, which family members of the 900 dead sailors regarded as a mere slap on the wrist. And although he wrote personal letters of condolence to each of the deceased sailors’ families, many of them spent the next two decades sending him angry letters blaming him for the tragedy and holding him personally responsible for their loved ones’ deaths. Over the years the weight of those deaths took their toll, and in 1968, Charles McVay took his own life.
In the meantime, the three hundred survivors remained solidly in Captain McVay’s camp, trying their best to have him exonerated but without success.
Years passed. Then, in 1996, an eleven year-old boy from Pensacola, Florida—a sixth grader named Hunter Scott—did a history project on the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. His research was what revealed the Navy’s negligence in not tracking the ship’s scheduled times of departure and arrival. Hunter then teamed up with the survivors and enlisted the help of his congressman, former Representative Joe Scarborough, in yet another attempt to clear Captain McVay’s name. Amazingly that effort succeeded. In 2000 legislation exonerating him passed Congress and was signed into law by President Clinton.
Last week’s program on PBS alternated between segments about the sinking itself, the eventual rescue of the survivors, and the much later search for the ship’s wreckage which was finally located in the summer of 2017.
The Indianapolis sank in some of the deepest waters of the Pacific—a place where oxygen never penetrates. As a consequence, there’s no rust on the ship’s broken pieces. Eerie underwater camera shots revealed parts of the ship where the lettering was still plainly visible. Because of the bodies still buried there, the US Navy regards the wreckage as sacred ground. So do I.
As I was watching the show, however, I kept wondering what had led an eleven-year-old kid to research the ship’s sinking all those years earlier. Had he maybe happened across the same book that had made such an impression on me back in the late sixties when I bought it for the library on the reservation? As a result, once the show was over, I Googled Hunter Scott. Turns out it wasn’t that particular book that inspired him—it was watching the movie Jaws.
By 2017 when the wreckage was finally located, Hunter Scott was a lieutenant in the US navy, serving on the flight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard in the Pacific.
As a recovering librarian, I can’t help but feel somewhat disappointed that it was a hit movie rather than a book that led Hunter Scott to do his powerful research project, but I’m glad it did.
It was high time.
Thank you for this fascinating insight. I also read that book a long time ago and was angry that the captain was blamed and court martialed. Glad that common sense prevailed and he was exonerated. May he now rest in peace.
A fascinating story. I had never heard about this at all. War is horrendous. How many stories of valor, fear, courage, doubt, and a million other feelings that must pass through everyone’s mind while it’s going on and forever after.
Thanks, Judy, for telling this story.
Wow! What an incredible piece of history – our history – that reveals hundreds of unsung heroes. Thank you for sharing it.
I always look forward to your Friday blogs. This one didn’t disappoint. It is good to know that Captain McVey may now rest in peace.
The Indianapolis story has fascinated and horrified me since I first read about it in 1973. From the beginning I believed Captain McVay had been the Navy’s scapegoat to protect the many people who had dropped the ball, and I was overjoyed when his name was cleared. I didn’t learn about the Indianapolis mention in Jaws until about twelve years after the movie was released when my 13-year-old son was determined to watch it on television and I felt he should have a calming influence with him.
Thank you for that history. I remember some of that information but I enjoyed the whole story and ending. Books are definitely better than movies, every time!
Thank you for sharing this important piece of history. I saw the movie on PBS about the sinking of the Indianapolis. A truly moving nightmare. Captain McVey was a brave soul, as all of our veterans. Thank you for revisiting this part of history. People need to know.
Both my mom and dad were in the Navy. Mom worked in radar, tracking ships and planes. Dad was a frogman… demolition of bombs.. he was at the beaches of Normandy before “D” day. He serviced in both theatres of war.
I enjoy your books and your blogs. You are one of my favorite authors. ( I’m such a groupie?).I look forward to reading your Friday blog.
Again thank you for sharing your talent and time.
Don’t get to wet out there…
Kind Regards,
Denise
What a wonderful story! I love learning new things about history.
On another note, I recently listened to an audiobook that mentioned Bisbee and you. It was so cool ?
Great story!
Thank you for your great blog post on the USS Indianapolis. I too was fascinated by the story of the ship and its eventual demise. I’ve read and watched almost anything on the ship, one of my obsessions. So difficult to imagine the sailors plight after the ship’s sinking. You captured it well. And thank you for honoring it on Veterans Day. I am a US Marine veteran, served in Vietnam.
Tom, I’ve read that Marines who have left active duty never refer to themselves as ex-Marines. They say “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Is that the way you feel?
Carolyn Ann: yes that is true, no such thing as an Ex-Marine. Just Marine. “Once a Marine, always a Marine” the way it is.
Tom, my favorite Marine story involves a high school classmate. He was a problem always getting into trouble. After he graduated he joined the Marines. Once he was caught smoking when he was not supposed to be and had to smoke a pack of cigarettes with a pail over his head. We home folks loved that.
Carolyn, true – very bad to do something like that. The old bucket was used for a variety of things like that. Some may criticize the methods of the DIs, but their job was to get civilians ready for combat. Obeying rules and orders can save lives. They had just a few weeks to make that happen. Many stories from Boot Camp.
LOVED this article so very much.
And….have to tell you that your book “after the fire” is still with me. I was not married to one alcoholic but to two even tho I waited 20 years before marrying the 2nd husband. He was in sales & only drank beer in the evening around me. After his accident in Ohio, demolishing the company car, I found that I was married to another alcoholic.
But….both are dead now, but I AM STILL HERE!!!
Yes, I’m still here, too. My first husband missed more than half his life.
Didn’t know about that about the USS Indianapolis until now. Fascinating!
Most interesting post. Amazing what an 11-year old can do.
I had never heard of this before today! Thank you for sharing!
From the smallest voice, comes a great moment in time. Thank you for graciously sharing it.
Fascinating. I must confess that I had never heard of the USS Indianapolis until the movie Jaws. But it intrigued me so much I then looked up the history. Bravo to Hunter for his interest and efforts to bring the facts to light and clear Captain McVay’s name. Thank you for another wonderful Friday read.
What a wonderful Story and what a smart young man. I enjoyed reading this almost as much as I enjoy your books. I am an 84 year old who has just this year discovered you. My sister got 5 books from our local senior center with all 3 of your characters. I enjoyed them so much I went on line to thrift books and little by little got all of the J.P. Beaumont (my favorite) all of the Jo Anna Brady and put them in order of date. I am in the process of getting the Ali Reynolds but can’t find the order in Which they were written and I really enjoy reading them in order. How can I find out which follows along? I just purchased the new J.P.Beaumont. Love your books and blogs. Please keep sending them. Thank you .ps Loved the one about Twinkle Winkleman. MaryAnn Leopold
Welcome aboard. Here’s a link on my website that lists all the books in each series in order. And don’t forget my book of poetry, After the Fire. It’ll give you a lot of insight into my life and the origins of many of my characters.
There is a chronological list of books on the author’s website: https://www.jajanceauthor.com/books-in-order
I find it very easy to read them in order that way. Sometimes the novellas and e-books are a little more difficult to read but the storyline doesn’t suffer. I read the J. P. Beaumont out of order, sadly…but it was my first intro to J. A. Jance. After reading them all I read the Brady series in order…that’s the way to do it. Am reading Ali Reynolds in order too. I think I may re-read Beaumont in order afterwards.
We watched the movie but really all i remember is the end. We watch a lot of war movies and my husband remembers them all as I was never much for history but have changed over the years and my interests has bloomed . Thank you for this great write up.
I haven’t seen the movie, but have seen several documentaries about this tragedy, one just recently. It’s easier to see what went wrong over time, but not so much during the heat of battle. (Like Monday morning quarterback.)
Thanks for remembering Veterans Day – it’s also our anniversary. We tell friends that it was the least my wife could do to help a vet. 🙂 Love your books – especially Beau and Joanna.
So many stories – eye witnesses! And each has their own time line and story. You see this happening day after day on the news still. Amazing isn’t it that we have to have the news reported to us which has been filtered down to so many minutes and seconds. AND my morning news covers the weather in my area for 30 minutes!!! Like you I grew up during WWII and my parents were very social which meant our house was a gathering place to play Bridge, drink & smoke and tell personal stories or stories they heard. Amazing what you can remember from sitting quietly on the couch reading a book and listening:-)
That is phenomenal. So glad that he got it done. Thanks for the story
Good story telling. I’m particularly interested since both my parents were Hoosiers, from Indiana, “home” of the indianapolis. Bob Glass
Its fun to think of that 6th grader getting more and more caught up in his project, isn’t it?
Ceci
I would love to know which book you read as there are several books titled Abandon Ship. I did not know about the USS Indianapolis or the reference in Jaws. Thanks for the history lesson!
In Jaws the boat that went after the shark was captained by a survivor of the USS Indianapolis. During a drinking night during that the captain told a story about surviving in the shark infested waters after the Indianapolis sank.
Thank you for such a patriotic and informative post. I’m not familiar with this particular event, and the follow up is very interesting as well. So many brave men!
Thank you for posting the story about the Indianapolis. I had forgotten about it. I also had forgotten about the reference to the sinking in “Jaws”.
I think any man who served aboard a ship was brave. My late husband was a Naval
aviator assigned to the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) in the early 60s. He was not involved in any battle. I toured the ship once. The officers’ quarters gave me claustrophobia. I don’t know how the lower ranks dealt with their living area.
What a fine way to pay tribute to service personnel on veterans day. Thanks Judith.
I do believe the Indianapolis story in Jaws was already in my head. When Robert Shaw started reminiscing in Jaws I knew right where he was headed with it. What a wonderful actor, he made you believe you were there and how it must have shaped his later life as the captain. One of the few movies from a book that I could not decide which I preferred, even though they had different endings. As a general rule I prefer books to movies.
I watched Jaws when it first came out. I closed my eyes when I heard the shark’s music starting so guess I shouldn’t say I watched it. I’ve never wanted to watch it again.
I think that Jaws was the start for many people – including me – and I did not see Jaws when it first came out in 1975 but many years later and looked it up on google and found the story. You have provided even more than what I read online so thank you.
Oh, forgot to mention, eagerly awaiting part 2.
I had never heard about the Indianapolis before I read this blog. I learn a lot reading your blog and even more reading your books. I’ve read them all, except After The Fire. Might download it to my book reader.