Don McCall, Seaman Second Class: They tell you to throw your life jacket in first, then jump in and get your life jacket. Charles Butler McVay III was born in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, on August 31, 1898, to a Navy family. The Tragic Deaths Of The Crew Of The USS Indianapolis, Naval History and Heritage Command / Wikimedia Commons, U.S. National Park Service / Wikimedia Commons, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/14/us/captain-once-a-scapegoat-is-absolved.html. At first, he thought it was the trail of an enemy sub. Survivor Edgar Harrell recalled, "You see maybe a body up on an eight foot swell and all of a sudden that swell breaks and that body comes down and he hits you and he leaves parts and residue on you. They [both Carter and the Guam routing] assured the captain everything was all right. Harold Bray, Seaman Second Class, Repair Division: The ship was looking goodnew paint, some new guns. Those who did, fell victim to salt poisoning. Her aviation fuel stores ignited, and a maelstrom of flame and explosions ripped through the ship. [3] The seas had been moderate, but visibility was not good. This caught the attention of congressmen. "It is with a heavy heart that we notify you of Christine's passing," they said to fans . Christine McVie, Keyboardist and Singer for Fleetwood Mac, Dead at 79 McVay had a distinguished naval career prior to the loss of Indianapolis. ", Over fifty years after the incident, a 12-year-old student in Pensacola, Florida, Hunter Scott, was instrumental in raising awareness of the miscarriage of justice carried out at the captain's court-martial. Kings eyes mist over as he tells his story, and with his arms swimming in the sleeves of an old blue bathrobe, his hands draw pictures in the air. Earlier in World War II, he was awarded the Silver Star for displaying courage under fire. Lessons in Accountability: Charles McVay and the Indianapolis This omission was officially recorded later as "due to a misunderstanding of the Movement Report System". ), Giles McCoy, a survivor of the Indianapolis, told The Associated Press that Captain McVay ''was not guilty of anything except the fortune or misfortune of war.''.
