USS Indianapolis Survivor Relives Horrifying Experience | Memoirs Of WWII #38

Summary

In this gripping account, Edgar Harrell, a WWII veteran, recounts his harrowing experience aboard the USS Indianapolis. On July 29th, 1945, the ship was struck by Japanese torpedoes and sunk, leading to one of the most tragic events in naval history. Harrell details his miraculous survival, witnessing the horrors of shark attacks, dehydration, and exhaustion over four and a half days at sea. His story highlights the unimaginable bravery and resilience of those who fought in WWII, and his gratitude for life is evident as he honors the memory of lost comrades while cherishing a loving reunion with a waiting brunette back home.

Highlights

• Edgar Harrell recalls the night of July 29th, 1945, when the USS Indianapolis was hit by torpedoes, feeling the moment intensely even now. 🚢
• From eager farm boy to Marine, Harrell's transition showcases the enthusiasm of young men during WWII. 👨‍🌾➡️🪖
• A secret mission with unknown cargo - Edgar later learned it was the uranium for the atomic bomb 'Little Boy'. 🔒💥
• The shock and chaos during the sinking, with vivid imagery of burning skin and desperate calls for help, paints a haunting picture. 🔥⚓
• Facing four days adrift, Edgar's encounters with sharks and lack of water highlight the sheer will to survive. 🦈💧
• Discovering a crate of rotten potatoes at sea, providing life-saving nourishment, illustrates small victories in dire times. 🥔👏
• Edgar's heartwarming reunion with a loved one post-rescue and his subsequent life of gratitude for surviving the ordeal. 🫂❤️
• Reflecting on faith in desperate times, Edgar's prayers and inner strength guided him through unimaginable adversity. 🙏💪

Key Takeaways

• Survivor Edgar Harrell relives the chilling night when the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. 🚢
• Edgar Harrell's determination to join the Marines at the age of 17, sparked by WWII's events, showcases youthful courage and passion. 🙌
• The secret mission carrying components for the first atomic bomb on the USS Indianapolis drastically altered the course of the war. 🔒⚡
• The devastation of the Indianapolis sinking led to one of the largest shark attacks in history, a chilling wartime reality. 🦈
• The touching end to Edgar's story where he finds love and gratitude after the war, marrying in 1947, brings warmth and hope. ❤️

Overview

Imagine being a young man from Kentucky, eager to join the fight in WWII, just like Edgar Harrell. Enlisted by choice, not by draft, Edgar found himself aboard the USS Indianapolis, never dreaming the events he would face. From the moment of its secret mission, to seeing the torpedoes that sunk his ship, Edgar's resolve and bravery were tested beyond measure.

The chilling details of the Indianapolis sinking resonate with a terrifying intensity. Edgar's recount of fellow crew members suffering burns, facing shark-infested waters, and enduring four days without proper food or water is a testament to human resilience. The fear of the unknown and the haunting presence of lurking sharks turned every moment into a battle for survival.

However, Edgar's story is not just one of despair. It's filled with hope and gratitude. Surviving the odds, Edgar was eventually rescued, leading to a touching reunion with the love of his life back home. His marriage in 1947 marked a new beginning, where he cherished life, honored fallen comrades, and shared his story to inspire future generations.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Encounter with the Japanese Submarine In this chapter, the narrator recounts a significant event that took place in the early hours of the 29th. Around 14 minutes past midnight, they had an encounter with a Japanese submarine. The experience is vividly described, highlighting how the memory of the incident is still vivid and perceivable as though it is being relived, engaging the senses of sight, feeling, and hearing.
• 01:00 - 02:00: Joining the Marines The chapter "Joining the Marines" discusses the eagerness of young men, such as Edgar Harrell from Murray, Kentucky, to join the Armed Forces as the United States intensified its involvement in the Second World War.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Training and Assignment on USS Indianapolis As an 18-year-old, the narrator was working on a farm and attending high school. Aware of the ongoing events in the Pacific, he expressed his desire to his father to join the Marines rather than wait to be drafted. He approached the draft board to volunteer, despite not yet being called up, showcasing his eagerness to enlist at such a young age.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Combat Experiences in the Pacific Theater The narrator shares his experience of being selected for sea school after completing boot camp in San Diego. He was trained for six weeks and then sent to San Francisco, where he boarded the USS Indianapolis, which was to be his home for the remainder of the war.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Kamikaze Attack and Return for Repairs The chapter revolves around the experiences on the USS Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser in the US Navy, focusing particularly on Edgar's journey. It details the combat missions across the Pacific theater during World War II as the Allied forces attempted to counter the advances of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. Edgar recounts participating in numerous battles, listing significant engagements such as Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and Guam.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Secret Mission with Atomic Bomb Components In the chapter titled 'Secret Mission with Atomic Bomb Components,' a significant naval engagement is depicted. The narrator recounts participation in the sea battle of the Philippine Seas, wherein their task force successfully shot down 403 Japanese aircraft in a single day. The narrator also describes being present at pivotal locations such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa during WWII. At Okinawa, a suicide plane attack had a profound impact, as one of the plane's bombs penetrated the ship, creating severe damage that necessitated returning to the United States for repairs.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Sinking of USS Indianapolis The chapter details the events following repairs made to the USS Indianapolis on the Californian coast. After successful repairs, the USS Indianapolis was assigned a secret mission whose consequences were pivotal to the outcome of the war and had a significant impact on Edgar's life. The ship embarked on this mission with a top secret cargo on board.
• 08:00 - 17:00: Struggles at Sea and Survival The chapter titled 'Struggles at Sea and Survival' involves a situation where a corporal is on guard duty, under the command of a Marine captain. During this duty, an unknown large crate comes aboard the ship. The contents of the crate are unknown to the crew, leading to speculation about its nature and origin. The situation escalates with the arrival of two men, seemingly Air Force Officers, who bring a small, securely locked canister inside a metal cage onto the ship. The presence of the canister and its mysterious nature add to the intrigue and tension among the crew.
• 17:00 - 20:00: Rescue and Return Home In the chapter titled 'Rescue and Return Home', the narrator describes an encounter with individuals initially mistaken for Air Force Officers. These individuals are later identified as scientists from Los Alamos, New Mexico, who were in possession of a component of 'Little Boy' and the uranium that would be used in the first atomic bomb. The narrator admits to not understanding the significance at the time, unlike President Truman, who was aware as the first atomic bomb had been detonated in Los Alamos on July 16th.
• 20:00 - 22:00: Post-war Life and Sharing the Story The chapter titled 'Post-war Life and Sharing the Story' discusses a swift journey after an event, with a focus on a ship heading to Tinian. Upon arrival, a large crate and a small canister were taken by someone, possibly indicating the transportation of significant items or evidence post-war.

USS Indianapolis Survivor Relives Horrifying Experience | Memoirs Of WWII #38 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 And then, the night of the 29th, about 14 minutes  past midnight, we encountered a Japanese sub. Honestly, as I tell it, it’s more  than just telling it. I can relive it. I can see and feel and hear.
• 00:30 - 01:00 As the United States moved full steam  ahead into the Second World War, many young men like Edgar  Harrell of Murray, Kentucky could hardly wait to graduate before  joining up with the Armed Forces.
• 01:00 - 01:30 Well, as an 18 year old, I was working  on the farm and going to high school. And I knew what was happening in  the Pacific, and I told my dad, “Dad, I don’t want to wait to be  drafted. I want in the Marines.” And I went to the draft board and told them that   my number hadn’t come up, but  I’d like to join the Marines. And they were kind of excited about a 17 or  18 year old boy wanting to get in the Marines.
• 01:30 - 02:00 I went to San Diego boot camp, and after  boot camp they said, “Private Harrell,   you’ve been selected to go to sea school.” Which meant that I would be sea-going. And so  I went through some six weeks of schooling. They sent me up to San Fransisco,  then they took me up to the   dock, and there was the big USS Indianapolis. And that’s going to be my home  for the duration of the war.
• 02:00 - 02:30 The USS Indianapolis was a heavy  cruiser of the United States Navy. Aboard ship, Edgar would experience combat  throughout much of the Pacific theater as the Allies worked to undo the ferocious  conquest of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. I went through, maybe, ten battle stars with them. Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, Guam,
• 02:30 - 03:00 the sea battle of the Philippine  Seas where our task force   shot down 403 Japanese aircraft that day. I was at Iwo Jima, and then I was at   Okinawa. And it was at Okinawa  that we received a suicide plane. One of his bombs went all the way through  the ship, and left a big, gaping hole there To the extent that we had to make our way  all the way back to the States for repairs.
• 03:00 - 03:30 And that changed our directions for the  duration of the time I was in service. The Indianapolis returned to the Californian  coast and underwent successful repairs. It was then that she received  orders for a secret mission, the results of which would determine  the final outcome of the war   and change Edgar’s life forever. From there, we picked up a top secret cargo.
• 03:30 - 04:00 I was a corporal at the time, and  I happened to have the guard duty. And my Marine captain came to me and  said, “We’ve got something coming aboard. We don’t know what it is, but it’s a big crate.” “What are we guarding?” He said, “We don’t know.” And then, there were two men, proposed  to be Air Force Officers, coming aboard. They had a little canister in a  metal cage with a padlock on it.
• 04:00 - 04:30 “What is that? Who are these Air Force Officers?” Well, they weren’t Air Force Officers. They  were scientists from Los Alamos, New Mexico. And what they had was a component   of Little Boy and the uranium that  would ignite the first atomic bomb. I didn’t know what we had, at  the time. President Truman knew. Because, the 16th of July, they detonated  the first Atomic Bomb in Los Alamos.
• 04:30 - 05:00 Then we got underway real soon. I mean,  we went as fast as that ship would go. We went to a place in Tinian, and someone came and  took that big crate and that little canister too.
• 05:00 - 05:30 After successfully delivering its cargo, the  Indianapolis set course for the Philippines to prepare for the upcoming invasion of Japan. But the ship would not reach its destination. And then, the night of the 29th, about 14  minutes past midnight, we encountered a Jap sub.
• 05:30 - 06:00 Honestly, as I tell it, it’s more  than just telling it. I can relive it. I can see and feel and hear. I got off of watch that night at midnight,  and so I go below deck and I get my blanket. I go topside and go all the way  forward to number one turret.
• 06:00 - 06:30 I made me a pallet on the deck,  underneath the barrels of that   gun, and probably just began to doze off. About eleven or twelve minutes  after midnight, Commander Hashimoto   picked us up with a little periscope Just barely sticking up out of the water.  We couldn’t see him, he could see us. We had no underwater sound gear. They sent us out  unescorted. He was surprised that we were alone.
• 06:30 - 07:00 He fired six torpedoes. That first torpedo, not knowing what it was,  but I knew that something happened up there. I could see all of that water and  that flame going high in the air.
• 07:00 - 07:30 And then,   maybe two seconds later, another one hit under  the number two turret of the big eight inch guns. And then I could see that about thirty feet  wide of the bow of the ship - it’s not there. All of that water is coming in,  and I know that the ship is doomed. And there were those who were coming from inside,  and you could see that they were fash burned.
• 07:30 - 08:00 When they were trying to get out,   they’d touch a bulkhead and they’d leave  the skin of their hands on the bulkhead. And now they’re pleading. They’re out  in the open and pleading for help. But there’s nothing that  this Marine corporal can do. And by now the bow of the ship is under.   We’re listing to the starboard to  where you can’t stand on the deck.
• 08:00 - 08:30 You’re waiting for word to abandon ship. Well, for the good Captain up there with no  electrical power, no speaker, no nothing, All he could do is - as loud as he could,  “Abandon ship, abandon ship, abandon ship!” And then, to go over to that  rail and grab ahold of that rail. You know that you’re going to be leaving  the ship or the ship is going to leave you.
• 08:30 - 09:00 But as I got there, I held on to that rail.   And may I say, there’s times when you  pray, and there’s times when you pray. And I knew to whom I was praying. And I  told the Lord that I don’t want to die. I knew that there was a certain brunette back  home that was going to wait for me. Mom and Dad. I don’t know what all I promised the Lord,  but, “I want to live, I want to live!”
• 09:00 - 09:30 And may I say this: I can hear him today,  “Peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth. Let not your heart be troubled.  Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid.” I’m holding onto that rail, “Don’t be afraid,” And I knew that somehow,  someway, I’m going to make it. And I did not have the least idea what I was  going to experience the next four and a half days.
• 09:30 - 10:00 I left the ship and swam away. I saw the bow of  that ship go under, and saw that fantail come up. And I saw boys as they were jumping off, and  some jumped into those screws as they came down. They couldn’t see what was below, but they  dared not allow themselves to be brought under.
• 10:00 - 10:30 And it wasn’t long until, maybe eighty of  us or so, here we are in a little group. And I asked, “Any Marines?”  Well, there were two Marines. One was a new Marine that had  just come aboard in San Francisco. And he was not in my squad, so I didn’t know him,  but I could tell that he was wounded desperately. But he was dying. Basically, I held  onto him and he died in my arms there.
• 10:30 - 11:00 Then I found another Marine.  That was my buddy Spooner. And he’d gone into the water   head first. Can you imagine what you’d  look like and how it’s going to affect you If you would dive into a half inch of that  black oil. And he can’t see, and he’s desperate.
• 11:00 - 11:30 It’s a long story with Spooner.  So much that he had to experience. Morning broke, and you could look out at any time  and you’d see a big fin swimming round and round. And you’re kind of in their road, and they go  through, and they don’t bother to miss you.
• 11:30 - 12:00 They hit you, and that’s the end of you. You would see someone out by himself, you’d  hear a blood curdling scream, and you look. And you see him go under.  Two or three sharks there. You go and check your buddy and you find that  the bottom torso is gone, and he’s disemboweled. So, that’s going to take place  just so, so, so many times.
• 12:00 - 12:30 Now the sun comes up. And when that  sun came up, it wasn’t appreciated   at all, because it's 110 degrees. Now, where are you going to get your  water? You don’t have any water. And some would dare to drink a little  salt water. But just wait a little bit. That brain with all of that salt in it,
• 12:30 - 13:00 that man doesn’t know straight up.  He doesn’t know you from a Jap. He may take his sea knife out, and he  stabs his buddy because he’s a Jap. And so, we’re losing boys. And a little rain cloud came over,  and you turn your mouth heavenward. You’re so thankful for that  water, but if you could just see   those faces, you’d see that  they’re all covered with oil.
• 13:00 - 13:30 You hold your mouth open, or you  try to funnel some of that water in. But when that oil gets down in that tummy,   it isn’t long until that tummy  says, “We’ve got to come out!” And it comes out. So, you have no water. No water. So, the third day at noon, there’s seventeen.
• 13:30 - 14:00 And then, all of the sudden,  we saw something out there. “Look, look! Well it looks  like it could be a raft!” We are making our way toward them, they’re coming  to us. They came into our group and they said, “The sun goes down in the west,  and the Philippines is there   someplace. We’re going to head  toward the Philippines now.” May I say, we didn’t know it was another 500 miles  to the Philippines, but it’s time to do something.
• 14:00 - 14:30 “Anyone want to join us?” And I said to my buddy Spooner, “I’m gonna  go, Spooner. Are you going to go with me?” Well, no. He wanted to   commit suicide. He said, “I’ll swim down  so far, I’ll drown before I come back up.” I said, “You’re not gonna do any such thing.  We’re gonna go with that little raft.”
• 14:30 - 15:00 And those other sailors, they said, “You’re  crazy. You can’t swim to the Philippines.” I said, “Yeah, but we can’t make it  if we don’t try.” And we started out. Those sailors that refused  to go, not a one survived. We’re making some headway, and we came  upon a swell and I saw something out there.
• 15:00 - 15:30 And I said, “I’m gonna swim out  and see what that might be.” And they said, “But it’s just some debris.”  And I said, “I feel I’ve got to go!” And I made my way out there to whatever  that is. it’s just an old slatted crate. But as I got closer and closer, you  know what was in that? Potatoes! I recall reaching in and getting that first  potato. And as I got ahold of it, the rot
• 15:30 - 16:00 squeezed through my fingers. Rotten potatoes. But as I squeezed it,  you know what? It was solid on the inside! And then I took that potato and  peeled that rot off and spit it out,   and had just a little bit of potato on the inside. And my buddies see that I’m  eating something. “What is it?”   And I made my way back halfway, and we met.
• 16:00 - 16:30 And that’s the water that we   got, and that’s the food that we had  for four and a half days swimming. We can’t all hang around that little raft. And my  buddy Spooner that had wanted to commit suicide, I said, “Spooner, turn your back. I’m  gonna tie you on so you can’t get away.”
• 16:30 - 17:00 Daylight begins to break this fourth day.   Somehow or another we drifted away  from that makeshift of a raft. And I’m with this Navy lieutenant,  McKissick, and one sailor. And every little bit, I’d check this sailor,  because I’ve seen this so many times. It’s easy just to drop your head in the  water, and his head was in the water. I shook him and he was still alive. The second  time, he’s still alive. The third time, he’s gone.
• 17:00 - 17:30 So it’s just McKissick and myself,  and we know that we can’t make it. But at least we could converse  a little bit, and we could pray.
• 17:30 - 18:00 We see planes flying at 30,000  feet. Our B-29’s bombing Japan. But then, all of a sudden,  we saw and we heard a plane! Here he is, out on a search  and destroy in that Ventura. Lieutenant Gwinn said, “I looked down.” He  said, “I thought I saw a flash of light.”
• 18:00 - 18:30 But as he started down, he came a little  ways and he could see every way he looked bodies, bodies, bodies. Sharks, sharks, sharks. But I can see him today when Lieutenant Gwinn  came down and circled over McKissick and myself. I could see his face in that plane  as he circled us two or three times. And he goes up and he breaks radio silence, and he  gets in touch with Adrian Marks, a pilot of a PBY.
• 18:30 - 19:00 It isn’t long until he gets there. They told him, “You can’t land.”  But he said, “We have to land!” And the crew said, “We will  back you. We have to land!” He said, “I’m gonna try to run a swell.” He  tried, but that right prop would never run again. The damage inflicted on the PBY upon landing  made it impossible to take off again,
• 19:00 - 19:30 but Commander Robert Marks and his  crew were able to provide a safe haven for some 56 sailors and Marines  until further help arrived. All he could do was pick up stragglers. When I got aboard, one of the  first men that I saw was Spooner! He finally got that undone and hung onto  that raft. And here he is talking to me.
• 19:30 - 20:00 Then that destroyer came in. And  now we’re transferred aboard. Of the 1,200 Marines and sailors aboard the  Indianapolis at the time of her sinking, only 316 survived to see their rescue. A weary but elated Edgar was  returned to the United States, and after a slow recovery, reunited  with more than just his family.
• 20:00 - 20:30 A certain brunette heard that  the Indianapolis was sunk. And she rushed to her mom and  said, “Mom, Mom! Ed was aboard!” Then, of course they talked about 100  percent casualties. But that brunette waited. I got home later and loved her to no end.  But I felt that I was too much of a wreck,
• 20:30 - 21:00 And I told her,   “I think we just need to steer clear until I can  come to myself and be worth you waiting for.” And we waited. We waited, and then,  then finally, we decided it’s time. We were married, then, in 1947. Two years  after the sinking of the Indianapolis.
• 21:00 - 21:30 Edgar Harrell lived out the remainder  of his life publicly sharing his story to honor those who were lost in the  sinking of the USS Indianapolis. To the day of his passing in May of  2021, Edgar never ceased giving thanks that he survived those terrible days  in the Pacific in the summer of 1945.
• 21:30 - 22:00 Oh, you can’t imagine. Thank  you, Lord! Thank you, Lord! Even today,   I can not make contact with the Lord without  just remembering. Thank you, Lord! Even today. Thank you, Lord, at 96 years old and still  able to tell of your mercy and your grace. Yes.