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Navy's Honor of USS Indianapolis May 1, 2001
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Navy's Honor of USS Indianapolis
WASHINGTON (May 1, 2001) -
Following the advice of Congress, and the American people, the U.S. Navy will award the Navy Unit Commendation Medal to the crew of the torpedoed World War II cruiser USS INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35) and will "modify" its captain's court-martial. The decision was contained in a Navy letter to members of Congress dated April 18, 2001. The Navy plans to present ribbons to the INDIANAPOLIS survivors at a previously-scheduled survivors’ reunion in Indianapolis on August 18.
Common lore is that the INDIANAPOLIS was torpedoed after delivering parts and nuclear material to Tinian, being sunk by a Japanese submarine on July 30, 1945. But the reality is, USS INDIANAPOLIS had completed her mission, and had reported in to Guam as ordered. When the attack occurred, the warship was under new orders and was steaming from Guam to Leyte Gulf off the Philippines. Commanding Officer Charles B. McVay was not briefed by Guam Intell about submarine risks, and the ship had stopped evasive maneuvers at night because broken clouds and overcast was limiting visibility. Because of apparent low risk, the INDIANAPOLIS was transiting at a moderate speed.
Only 317 of the 1,196 crewmembers survived the hunger, thirst and shark attacks that followed the ship's sinking, an ordeal that lasted for days. Capt. Charles B. McVay III was among the rescued. Against Admiral Nimitz wishes, McVay was court-martialed and convicted of "hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag," despite testimony from the Japanese submarine commander. The results have been a controversy ever since. McVay received a letter of reprimand and lost 100 lineal numbers in his temporary rank as Captain and 100 number in his permanent rank of Commander. In 1946, at the behest of Admiral Nimitz, who had become CNO, Secretary Forrestal remitted McVay's sentence and restored him to duty. McVay served out his time in the New Orleans Naval District and retired in 1949 with the rank of Rear Admiral. His promotion was the result of a law passed to honor decorated heroes from WWII.
The stigma of his conviction remained. While some of the family members of victims of the sinking blamed McVay, the surviving crew loyally supported him. He committed suicide in 1968.
Because the INDIANAPOLIS crew did its duty, the United States carried out the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those bombings ended the war, defeated tyranny, and saved countless lives that would have been lost had the war dragged on.
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