Taken earlier today at the USS Indianapolis memorial by a friend of mine whose father survived the sinking.
I believe this is one of the most beautiful and tastefully done monuments anywhere.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz
An aside... Indianapolis was sunk in the first minutes of July 30,1945. The time in the eastern US when the torpedoes struck her would have been shortly after 11:00 AM on July 29. My father, a WWII US Navy veteran himself, passed away 57 years to the day, almost to the hour, after Indianapolis' sinking. Today has been a very melancholy day for me.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz
"I have been sitting here and thinking of the things I left behind And hate to put on paper, just what’s running through my mind But there is one consolation, gather close and I will tell When we die we’ll go to heaven, for we’ve spent our hitch in hell
We’ve dived a million bilges and chipped ten miles of paint A meaner place this side of hell, there just simply ain’t We’ve stood by endless hours, while waiting for our mail We’ve stood a million watches, and been on all details
We’ve scrubbed a million mess halls, peeled a million spuds We’ve lashed a million hammocks, and washed our dirty duds The number of inspections stood, is very hard to tell There’ll be no such thing in heaven, for we’ve spent our hitch in hell
We’ve cruised a million miles and made a thousand ports We’ve spent the nights in dirty jails, for trying to be good sports When final taps are sounded, and we lay aside life’s cares Then we take the final shore leave, right up those golden stairs
The Angels will welcome us, and the harps will begin to play We sign a million pay checks, all to be spent in one day And then we’ll hear Saint Peter, greet us with a loud yell Take a front seat sailors, for you spent your hitch in HELL."
Written by Ed (George Edward) Jones, S 2/c, from Blaine, Tennessee, Div. 5, Gunner, U.S.S. Indianapolis, sent to his sister Imogene (Jarnigan) in 1945. Seaman Jones lost his life in the sinking.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz
75 years ago today, the last USS Indianapolis CA-35 Survivor was rescued.
Out of 1,195 crew members, only 316 came out of the ocean alive.
To break that number down:
The crew was made up of 1,156 sailors. Only 307 Survived.
The crew had 39 Marines on board. Only 9 Survived.
879 men lost their lives between July July 30th and August 3rd, 1945.
Approximately 300 went down with the ship when Indy was struck by two Japanese torpedoes. Over the next five days, the rest who were lost at sea perished from blast injuries, drowning, dehydration, hallucinations, and shark attacks.
316 men were left to speak in behalf of the other three-fourths of the crew.
Today, there are only eight USS Indianapolis CA-35 Survivors still living.
Honor them. Listen to them. Learn from them.
Never forget their 879 shipmates who did not come home.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz
Somehow I missed the passing of an Indianapolis Survivor back in June. Tony King was lost to the entire USS Indianapolis community for decades and was welcomed back into the fold only a couple of years ago.
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,387PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
King Crimson - SimHQ's Top Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 121,387
Miami, FL USA
RIP to all who served on the CA-35.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
I met a man with a USS Indianapolis hat at Union Station in Cincinnati. Inquired, because he looked about 15-20 years too young to have been on the ship. He told me, "My father was on the ship." I told him I was sorry for his loss and the nation was grateful for his sacrifice. He told me, "Yes, we hope he went down with the ship and didn't survive the sinking."
Still haunts me to this day.
Keep Calm and Check Canopy
There are no ex-paratroopers, only ones off jump status
This animation gives an idea, eventually, of the sheer depth of the wreck. It's also of general interest for other wrecks, but it mentions the Indianapolis specifically so here it is.
"They might look the same, but they don't taste the same."
The remaining two USS Indianapolis Survivors, Harold Bray and Cletus Lebow, will gather for a reunion next week.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz