George Hodgman provided help at an important juncture. Thanks as well to Maggie Richards, Elizabeth Shreve, Heather Fain, Sarah Hutson, Kenn Russell, Fritz Metsch, and Rebecca Milos at Henry Holt. Photo editor Carin Pearce, Robert Krauss, Tom Flowers, Tim Barrons of Byte Productions, and James Sinclair worked diligently to handsomely illustrate the book.
My mother and father have provided boundless encouragement. I wrote In Harm’s Way in part because of a story my father first told me when I was kid. “Don’t ever forget,” he would say (and still says), “the sacrifice somebody has made for you.” My parents’ example of doing the right thing, even if it’s the hard thing, has been an important lesson. And whenever I’ve succeeded in doing just that, it’s because of three people: Anne, my wife, who assisted at key moments as this book was nearing completion, and my children, John and Kate. Whatever I’ve learned about sacrifice, love, and endurance through the people I write about in this book, I want to bring home to them.
Finally, I want to recognize the sailors who were lost at sea when the Indianapolis was sunk. We rely on the living to tell the story, but not without remembering the boys who didn’t survive.
Five percent of the author’s share of royalties from hardcover sales of In Harm’s Way will be donated to the USS Indianapolis Survivors’ Fund.
Index
The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages of your eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.
Entries in italics refer to captions.
A
Alamagordo, New Mexico
Alcorn, Lieutenant Richard
Allard, Vincent
Allen, Donald
Alvin C. Cockrell, USS (destroyer escort)
anti-aircraft tracking drills
Argosy magazine
Army and Navy Bulletin
Asiatic Fleet, WW I
astro-fixes
atom bomb (“gadget”)
assembled
delivery of components and Unit Citation for Indy crew
dropped
first explosion of, in New Mexico
moved to Indy
post-mortem
secret plans
and Spruance
Truman announces
see also Fat Man; Little Boy; Trinity Shot
Atteberry, Lieutenant Commander George
Aylwin, USS (destroyer)
B
B-17 Flying Fortresses
B-29 Superfortresses
banzai charges
Bassett, USS (high-speed transport)
battle reconnaissance photos
battle training
Bluejackets’ Manual, The (sailors’ handbook)
Blue Summaries
Brandeis, Louis
Brown, Ed
abandons ship
adrift
exoneration of McVay and
and Indy’s departure
rescue of
and shark attack
Brundige, Bob
adrift with McCoy
after rescue
C
Call of the Wild (film)
Carson, Rep. Julia
Carter, Commodore James
CASP (Computer-Aided Simulation Program)
Cassidy, Jack
and rescue
and sharks
Cecil J. Doyle, USS (destroyer escort)
Centazzo, Frank
Challenger Deep
Chile
China
Chop (boundary)
Churchill, Winston
CINCPAC (Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet headquarters)
Claytor, Captain Graham
Cleveland (cruiser)
Clinton, Leland “Jack”
Coast Guard
code
breaking
drills
room
Colwell, Lieutenant Warren
communications
confused ship’s internal
Condition Able
Conway, Father
adrift
and attack death of
Coral Sea, Battle of the (1942)
CNN
crew
abandons ship
activities of, before attack
adrift awaiting rescue
background of
boards ship
casualties of, during attack
habits of
hallucinations of, while adrift
McVay’s relationship with
in San Francisco
slang of
and sudden order to sail
unreadiness of
see also rescue; sharks; survivors; and specific individuals
D
D-Day
dead reckoning
decryption process
depth charges “ash cans,”
distress signal (SOS)
McVay accused of not sending
Navy suppresses account of
ordered
received but not heeded
sent
Donaho, Glynn
Dudley, Al
Dufilho, USS (destroyer escort)
Dutch West Indies
E
emergency contingency plans
England, Gordon R.
Enola Gay (bomber)
escorting vessels
European war
exposure, in water, effects of
F
Fat Man (bomb)
First Army
First Marine Division
509th Composite Group
flare guns (Very pistols)
floater nets
Flynn, Commander Joseph “Red,”
Forrestal, James
forward area (war zone)
Franklin, USS
French, USS (destroyer escort)
Furman, Major Robert
G
Gable, Clark
Galante, Angelo
Gambler 17 (bomber)
Gambler Leader (bomber)
Gause, Bob
adrift
and Indy departure
rescue
and sharks
“gedunk” stand
General R. L. Howze, USS (transport ship)
Germany, surrender of
Gibson, Lieutenant Stewart
Gillette, Commodore Norman recalls rescue tugs
Give Me a Sailor (film)
Glenn, Jay
Goodman, Benny
Granum, Captain Alfred reprimand of and rescue
Gray, Willis
Green, Lieutenant William A.
“green banana” (letter)
Guam
Gwinn, Lieutenant Chuck and survivors
H
hallucinations
Hartman, William
Hashimoto, Lieutenant
Commander Mochitsura
court martial testimony of
orders attack
Havins, Otha
Haynes, Elizabeth
Haynes, Dr. Lewis
abandons ship
activities of, before attack
adrift
and aftermath
background of
death
dreams
homecoming of
and McVay court martial
recovery of
rescue of
reunited with survivors
Saturday Evening Post story by
and secret cargo
and shark attacks
and ship orders
Haynes, Margaret
Helm, USS (destroyer)
Henry, Lieutenant Commander Earl
Hetz, Russell
Hickman, Herbert
Higgins boats (LCVPs)
Hiroshima
bomb dropped
Hollandia, USS (transport ship)
Homonhon
Island
Honshu island
Hope, Bob
Horner, Durward
Hunters Point
hypernatremia
hypothermia
I
Idaho, USS (battleship)
I-58 (Japanese submarine)
attacks Indy
equipment on
McCoy shoots at
Indianapolis, USS (cruiser)
aftermath of rescue, for crew of
arrives in Guam
arrives in Hawaii
arrives in Tinian with secret cargo
attacked and sunk
battle history of
crew abandons
crew background
crew boards
crew slang
crosses international date line
deep-sea search for gravesite of
design and layout of
distress signals (SOS) from
engines on
FDR travels on
fire-control on
first report of disaster
food on
guns and gunners on
at Hunters Point
Hunters Point departure
inquiry into sinking of, and court martial
investigation of court martial, of 1999
kamikaze attack on, at Okinawa
leaves Guam on Peddie route to Leyte
Leyte orders not delivered to McCormick
lifesaving gear on
loss of, finally noted by CINCPAC
navigation equipment on
nonarrival, and directive 10CL-45
nonarrival, not reported
officers
ordered to leave for war zone
prepared for departure
radar on
radio drills on
radio shacks on
rescue operation for crew of
rescuers identify
secret cargo on board
secret cargo delivered
sonobuoy on
speed of
as Spruance flagship
and staggered engine pattern
submarine detection ability of
survivors, number of
survivors hallucinate seeing
survivors’ organization
and training in Chile
and Trinity test
Truman announces sinking of
Unit Citation issued to crew
watches on
water problems on see also crew; rescue; survivors; and specific individuals
intelligence reports
declassified
and inquiry
McVay not informed of
Iwo Jima
Battle of
J
Jacobson, Commodore Jacob
Janney, Commander John
Japan
Allied plan to defeat
atom bombing
banzai charges
bombing of, in 1944
encrypting system
invasion plans
and Kublai Khan
Pearl Harbor attack by
sues for peace
war in Pacific islands
Japanese submarines
intelligence on
see also 1-58
Jaws (novel and film)
Johnson, Captain Johnny “General Quarters,”
Johnson, Joseph
Johnston Island
Joint Intelligence Staff, Office of Vice Chief of Naval Operations
K
kaiten (manned torpedo)
kamikaze
attack on Indy at Okinawa
Kawasaki, Japan
Kay, Gus
Kemp, David
Kimmel, Rear Admiral Husband
King, Fleet Admiral Ernest
Kirtland Army Air Force base
Klappa, Ralph
Kublai Khan
Kurlick, George
Kuryla, Coxswain Mike
abandons ship
adrift
and aftermath
rescued
Kyushu island
L
Leeway Effect
Lefkovitz, Ensign Irving
Leyte Gulf
Battle of (1944)
Naval Operating Base
Ships Present List
Leyte island
fails to send rescue party
Indy’s orders to, not delivered properly
and nonarrival of Indy
receives distress signal
Life Jacket Shark Repellent Compound Packet
life rafts
lifesaving gear
life vests
Lipski, Commander Stanley
Liscombe Bay, USS (escort carrier)
Little Boy (atom bomb)
loran navigation
Los Angeles Times
M
MacArthur, Gen. Douglas
McCormick, Rear Admiral Lynde
McCoy, Betty (wife)
McCoy, Giles, Jr.
abandons ship after torpedo attack
activities of, before attack
adrift
background of
and court martial of McVay
exoneration of McVay and
and father
homecoming of
and Indy preparations
interviews with
recovery of
rescue of
and secret cargo
and sharks
and survivors
in Tinian Island
McCoy, Giles, Sr. (father)
McCoy, Tatie (mother)
McGuiggan, Bob
McVay, Charles, I (grand father)
McVay, Admiral Charles, II (father)
McVay, Captain Charles Butler, III “Charlie,”
abandons ship
activities of, before attack adrift
assigned to Indy
and attack on Indy
background of
and Battle of Okinawa
battle history of, on Indy
charged with failure to abandon ship
charged with failure to maintain zigzag course
command spot of
Congress moves to exonerate
conviction of
court martial of
death of grandson
death of Louise and depression
drills crew and gets routing orders
and evidence witheld at court martial
exoneration of
first days out of port
gives order to abandon ship
guilt feelings of
and hate mail
innocence of, maintained by survivors
intelligence report on Peddie route withheld from
and McCoy
notifies crew of move back into war zone
orders to Leyte, not delivered properly
on Peddie route to Leyte
personality of
press conference of, after rescue
requests crew training at Guam but directed to Leyte
rescue of
in San Francisco
and secret cargo
service history of
and shark attacks
and Spruance
suicide of
and survivors
at survivors’ reunion
in Tinian with cargo
tombstone promotion
zigzagging stopped by
McVay, Kimo (son)
McVay, Louise Claytor (wife)
McVay, Orr
McVay, Vivian (third wife)
Madison, USS (destroyer)
MAGIC
Manhattan Project
Mare Island
Mariana Islands
command office
Marianas Sea Frontier
Marine Corps
detachment aboard Indy
Marks, Lieutenant Adrian
Meyer, Captain William C.
Midway, Battle of
Miner, Jack
Miss Deal (plane)
Moore, Lieutenant Commander K.C.
Monroney, Mike
Moran, Radioman J.J.
Muldoon, John
Murray, Vice Admiral George
N
Nagasaki bombing
Naquin, Captain Oliver
Naval Academy in Annapolis
Navy, U.S.
assigns secret mission to McVay
directive to CL-45
exoneration of McVay
escapes inquiry into failure to rescue survivors
Indy disaster haunts
vs. Marines
Unit Citation to crew of Indianapolis
New Mexico, USS (battleship)
Newport, Curt
Newsweek
New York Times
Nightingale, Lieutenant Lawrence
Nimitz, Admiral Chester and atom bomb test and court martial and Indy inquiry vs. MacArthur
Nolan, Captain James
NPR
O
Okinawa
Battle of
occupation of
plans to invade
Oldendorf, Vice Admiral Jesse
Omaha, USS (cruiser)
Operation Centerboard
Operation Coronet
Operation Iceberg
Operation Olympic
Operation Stalemate
Oppenheimer, Robert
Ormac Bay
Orr, Lieutenant John
Osaka
Outland, Felton reunion with McCoy
P
Pacific campaign
Parke, Captain Edward
adrift
death of
Parsons, Captain William S.
Payne, Ed
Pearl Harbor, bombing of
Peddie convoy route
and inquiry
intelligence reports declassified
McVay not informed of Japanese submarines in
Peleliu island
Pensacola, USS (cruiser)
Philippines
Philippine Sea
Battle of the
forward area of
Philippine Sea Frontier
Indy reported lost
Indy survivors spotted
photophobia
plasma shift
Playmate 1 (plane)
Playmate 2 (plane)
Potsdam conference
Declaration to Japan
Procai, E. P.