Edgar Harrell, a 90-year old former Marine, recounts his experience surviving for nearly five days in shark-infested waters after his ship, the USS Indianapolis, was sunk by a Japanese submarine in 1945. Harrell has dedicated himself to honoring the memory of the over 900 crew members who died and keeping the true story of the tragedy alive. After being inspired by Harrell's book, 14-year old Ellie Rutan organized an event for him to speak at in his dress blues to further honor his service and share his story with others.

1. By Roxanne Baker
S
tanding tall in a crisp set of dress
blues, Edgar Harrell walked across
the stage of an Illinois church.
The hundreds of people in the audience
listened intently as he gave a firsthand
account of being a young Marine aboard
the sinking USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and
the horrific nearly five-day wait to be
rescued from shark-infested waters.
“It’s the greatest tragedy at sea in
the history of the U.S. Navy,” Harrell
said. “A true story of survival.”
Harrell, who is 90 years old, has
spoken to thousands across the
country on his mission to tell people
the story of the 1,196 crewmembers
of the doomed ship. He said he feels
compelled to honor the memory of
his fellow servicemen and to set the
record straight.
“It’s sad, but the history books
have been rewritten with a false
history. That is why I have written
my story.”
The Sinking
USS Indianapolis played a critical
role in ending World War II. On
July 26, 1945, she sailed to Tinian
to deliver components of the two
atomic bombs that were to be dropped
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
Without an escort, the ship departed for
the Philippines to prepare for the expected
invasion of Japan. But at 12:14 a.m. on
July 30, 1945, a Japanese submarine
torpedoed the ship in the Philippine Sea.
She sank in just 12 minutes, and almost
300 of the men aboard went down with
her. Few life rafts were deployed, and only
some crewmembers had time to grab a
kapok life jacket.
When the sun rose that morning, many
of the men already had succumbed to the
injuries they sustained from the explosions
that had rocked the ship. That’s when the
sharks arrived. The men tried to stay in
packs as they watched the fins encircle
them. Although the men fastened their
life jackets together, often a man would
drift away, panic or hallucinate and swim
away from the group. Harrell said there
were blood-curdling screams from the
men who fell prey to the sharks, but the
attacks happened so quickly, no one could
help. The survivors tried to collect and
save as many dog tags as they could. Many
men died from dehydration, drowning,
starvation or exposure, while others
suffering from hallucinations killed their
fellow sailors.
As the days wore on, it was clear that
a rescue was not on the way; no one was
looking for them. That loss of hope took a
toll on the survivors, Harrell said, and in
the desperate conditions, some lost their
will to live. Controversy still remains as
to why the absence of Indianapolis was
not noticed sooner. Distress signals were
sent, but never acted upon despite the ship
being days late from her scheduled arrival.
It wasn’t until the morning of Aug. 2,
1945, that Navy pilot Lieutenant Junior
Grade Wilbur “Chuck” Gwinn spotted
the wreckage while flying a PV-1 Ventura.
He immediately called for help, and
Lieutenant R. Adrian Marks, USN, pilot­
ing a PBY Catalina, was one of the first
on the scene.
LTMarksalertedLieutenantCommand­
er W. Graham Claytor Jr., skipper of
the nearest ship, USS Cecil J. Doyle
(DD-368), and Claytor immediately
diverted on his own authority. The
crew of Marks’ PBY started picking
up survivors from the water, despite
immediate danger from the sharks.
They even tied men to the aircraft’s
wings and somehow managed to
fit 56 survivors on board the plane.
But it wasn’t until Claytor shone his
ship’s searchlight when night fell that
most of the survivors knew a rescue
had finally arrived. Only about 315
men were recovered alive from the
water.
USSIndianapolis’CaptainCharles
B. McVay was later court-martialed
for not zigzagging to avoid a torpedo.
The trial is still controversial, as he
was the only captain in U.S. Navy
history to be court-martialed for
the sinking of a ship during war.
Information was not released to the
public until years after. Harrell had
served as McVay’s orderly and offered
to speak in his defense at the trial. Even
Mochitsura Hashimoto, the commander
of the submarine that sank Indianapolis,
said at the trial that zigzagging would not
have prevented the torpedo hit. McVay
committed suicide in 1968. In 2000, with
the support of Indianapolis survivors, he
was exonerated.
Keeping the Legacy Alive
Harrell said he was compelled to write
the story of USS Indianapolis after the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the
United States. His published book is called
“Out of the Depths: An Unforgettable
WW II Story of Survival, Courage, and
the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis.”
Several years later, 12-year-old Ellie
Rutan read Harrell’s firsthand account
while researching World War II, and it
impacted her to the core.
A Story of Survival, Loyalty
WW II Marine Who Escaped Sinking of USS Indianapolis,
Committed to Honoring Memory of Lost Shipmates
In Chicago, at one of his many speaking engagements, former Cpl
Edgar Harrell recounts the sinking of USS Indianapolis.
“We celebrate Marine Corps
history through supporting
Marines like Edgar Harrell. ...
We are happy to be just a
small part of that presentation.”
—Stacey Churchill
Marine Corps Association
& Foundation
CourtesyofEdgarHarrell
8 LEATHERNECK JANUARY 2015 www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck

2. “When you read it directly from him,
there’s a feeling of reverence and you walk
away with such gratitude,” Ellie said. “His
faith was so strong and his anchor was
in Christ. His story strengthened me so
much, and I wanted to deeply say ‘thank
you.’ ”
Ellie, now 14, organized and raised
funds for a speaking event near her home
outside of Chicago. More than 450 people
attended, including decorated veterans,
the North Suburban Young Marines and
Navy Band Great Lakes.
Harrell always had worn civilian cloth­
ing at his previous speaking engagements,
but Ellie said she felt it was important for
him to wear dress blues, especially with
the other veterans in uniform.
“He is a Marine who has truly earned
them [dress blues],” she said. “When I
met him I felt like I was facing an absolute
giant that I have an incredible respect for.”
She contacted The MARINE Shop in
Quantico, Va., for a donation. Owned
and operated by The Marine Corps
Association & Foundation, the shop
tailored and shipped trousers, a cover
and all accessories.
“We celebrate Marine Corps history
through supporting Marines like Edgar
Harrell,” said Stacey Churchill, the
director of individual donor development
for the foundation. “It was wonderful to
see the expertise of our tailors at work
creating the trousers for Corporal Harrell.
A Marine in uniform always makes an
impact, and I know that Corporal Harrell
captivated his audience with his account
of courage and survival. We are happy to
be just a small part of that presentation.”
Passing the Torch
Ellie said she hopes other young people
read Harrell’s story of USS Indianapolis
and realize the ultimate sacrifice that so
many have given for American freedom.
“You can’t appreciate something unless
you understand the price that was paid,”
she said.
Remembering that cost is why Harrell
continues to travel throughout the country
speaking about USS Indianapolis and the
roughly 900 men who gave their lives.
History should relay what truly happened
that night, he said, and his shipmates’ lives
should forever be honored.
“Many people do not know the horror
we encountered. Be reminded of the
sacrifice of the past, the cost of freedom,
and the continued conflict we must face
yet in the future. Make sure you are
prepared for life after death by embracing
the gospel of God. As my son often says,
‘A man is not ready to live until he is ready
to die,’ ” Harrell said.
Author’s bio: Roxanne Baker is a writer
and media coordinator for MCA&F. A
Marine wife, she is an experienced
multimedia journalist with hundreds of
published works.
USS Indianapolis off the Mare Island Navy Yard, Calif., July 10, 1945.
Above: CAPT Charles B. McVay III, the command­
ing officer of USS Indianapolis, right, was later
court-martialed for hazarding his ship. He was
exon­erated in 2000.
Right: Of the more than 900 soldiers and Marines
who survived the sinking, fewer than 320 were
alive when rescuers finally reached them five
days later.
USNphotocourtesyoftheNationalArchives
USNphotocourtesyoftheNationalArchives
USNphotocourtesyoftheNationalArchives
9www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck JANUARY 2015 LEATHERNECK