We had a cargo net that had Styrofoam things attached to keep it afloat. As the American ship drew closer, Lieutenant Commander Hashimotos heartbeat quickened. Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News The Exoneration of Captain Charles B. McVay III, Commanding Officer of USS Indianapolis (CA-35) The events which led to the 1945 sinking of USS Indianapolis (CA-35) have been well covered. Men started getting ideas that the ship wasnt far in the distance, King says. William J. Totifromthe U.S. And you knew someone had been hit, usually on the outer edge of the group.". [18] Though a note was not left, McVay was known by those close to him to have suffered from loneliness, particularly after losing his wife to cancer in 1961. Doug Stanton, in his book, In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Called affectionately,Indy, the heavy cruiser had seen action from New Guinea to the Aleutian Islands. About 300 of its crewmen were dead within minutes. The singer-songwriter and keyboardist died on Nov. 30 at age 79 "following a short illness," her family said at the time. McVays court-martial applied a nonstandard interpretation of accountability, failed to link causes and effects, and simply proliferated survivors guilt and moral injury in Indianapolis survivors. Ensign L. Peter Wren, Rescuer: We get to the survivors and there are these [oil-covered] facesblack hair and faces, round eyes, white teeth. The first torpedo slammed into Indys starboard bow, killing dozens of men in an instant. After a two-week trial, McVay was found guilty. The standard of accountability applied to Captain Charles McVay was never applied with the same rigor to anyone else, and was not, therefore, a "standard.". McVays situation raises several questions about the value of accountability in the naval service. Gardner McKay - Wikipedia The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. As rescue efforts stretched into the night, the surface ships USS Doyle and USS Bassett arrived on the scene. Of all captains in the history of the United States Navy, he is the only one to have been subjected to court-martial for losing a ship sunk by an act of war, despite the fact that he was on a top secret mission maintaining radio silence. However, Lieutenant Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto, captain of the Japanese submarine I-58, had other ideas. These reunions include a memorial service for those who were lost at the sinking and to honor those Indy veterans who have passed. Other articles where Charles B. McVay, III is discussed: USS Indianapolis: Rescue and aftermath: commanding officer of the Indianapolis, Capt. The conviction effectively ruined McVays career. Charles B. McVay III, was among the survivors. But it became apparent that they were swimming in a nightmare of epic proportions. Then it would get cold and you would start to shiver, and you couldnt wait for the sun to come back up. Charls B. McVay, III, the survivors of the USSIndianapolis wanted justice and exoneration for their skipper. In the more modern cases of the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), Fitzgerald (DDG-62), or the Farsi Island incident, the commanders in each situation failed to ensure watches were stood properly, that watch standers were properly qualified, and that weapons were loaded. You've read 1 out of 5 free articles of Naval History this month. Still, it is safe to say that the sacrifices of the crew of the USSIndianapolis will be forever etched into naval history. Survivors of the. A sixth grade history project exonerated the captain of the USS The attack took place fifteen minutes after midnighton 30 July 1945, when the bow of the U.S. Navalheavy-cruiser, Indianapolis, was struck by two Japa-nese torpedoes. The remainder of the crew, about 900 men, were able to abandon ship. Adm. Chester Nimitz disagreed and issued a letter of reprimand to McVay instead. Causes of death included dehydration, starvation, salt poisoning, and drowning. Theyd say, The Indy is down below, and theyre giving out fresh water and food in the galley! And theyd swim down, and a shark would get them. Early in the morning of July 30, 1945, it was attacked by the Japanese submarine I-58 under Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto. For instance, McVay requested a destroyer escort for Indianapolis,[9] but his request was denied because the priority for destroyers at the time was escorting transports to Okinawa and picking up downed aircrew in B-29 raids on Japan. Though Tony King is sharp and alert at the age of 94, a part of him is trapped forever in the summer of 1945.