Indianapolis By Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic (Simon & Schuster 2018)
My wife and I usually do not read the same books. However, the father of her best friend since fourth grade survived the sinking of the Indianapolis. Her friend was also the Chairperson of several reunions. So she snapped up the book from the bookstore the first few days is was available. I waited patiently for her to finish. She loved it. So did I.
The story of the ship, from laying the keel, to chauffeuring President Roosevelt around, to the Kamikaze attack, are presented in brief, but in sufficient detail. The chapter on the sub attack and sinking was riveting. The full range of emotions of the men in the water is covered. Some were very brave until their end, while a few others were selfish. It's not a story about sharks, but I found the paragraph about the recovery of partially eaten sailors disturbing.
The rescue narrative is inspiring. A PBY pilot landed his plane in the water, against standing orders, to rescue men from the sharks. After 53 men climbed all over it, it never flew again. Lieutenant Commander Claytor heard the radio chatter and turned his D.E. toward the site, without orders, nearly burning up his engines. When he got close, he turned his searchlight skyward, (making his ship "the brightest target in the Pacific") so the men in the water would know help was near. When the PBY pilot saw the light, "he decided he had never seen a finer example of American courage." Captain McVey saw the light, but he did not know the man who turned it on was his wife's cousin.
Then there is the court-martial, a fine example of the ‘deep state', as you might expect. The reunions are covered and the decommissioning of the submarine USS Indianapolis, where the survivors broached the idea of exonerating Captain McVey. The last Captain of the submarine Indianapolis made it his mission to seek justice for the last Captain of the heavy cruiser, Indianapolis. Then a young man turns a history project into Congressional testimony, the wreckage is discovered, and Congress decides McVey had been treated unjustly – no other Captain had his judgement questioned when their ship was sunk.
An outstanding book. Don't miss it! Find it your bookstore!
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