The sinking of the USS Indianapolis

(07-30-2015 06:55 PM)Smaug Wrote:  The sinking of the USS Indianapolis

That crew helped to end the war in the Pacific but paid a terrible price. I can't imagine being one of the survivors in the water for four straight days. The shark attacks received the most publicity but were only one of many problems the crewmen had to face. Can't imagine the temptation to drink the salt water when you're dying of thirst. They went through hell to serve our country. Heroes in my book.

Heroes. Indisputably.

Horrible beyond words what those men went through. Yet there were millions of others in those years going through similar torture.

What makes the loss of the Indianapolis so unbearable is when you realize how easily it could've been avoided. Also the way the captain was court-martialed, demonized and finally driven to suicide (in 1968) is heartbreaking to think about. I'm not John McCain's biggest fan -- far, far from it -- but his campaign to get Captain McVay posthumously exonerated and restored to his true rank is one big mark in his favor, IMHO.

How I learned about the Indianapolis.

(08-09-2015 07:53 AM)Smaug Wrote:  How I learned about the Indianapolis.

Me too.