Recovery of Bodies/Burials at Sea
Honoring Those Known and Unknown
There were 320 men alive that were pulled from the water upon arrival of the rescue ships. Unfortunately,
four of the men (
Frederick E. Harrison,
Ralph R. Peterson,
Robert A. Russell and
Robert L. Shipman)
passed away during the early hours of the post-rescue period leaving only 316 survivors who would
ultimately return to their families on United States soil.
The official Naval ceremony for "Burial at Sea" consisted of three parts:
- Assembly of shipmates (representing family).
- A devout word is spoken with blessings for crews' journey to meet his God.
- Crews earthly remains are "Committed to the Deep".
It should be understood, that with the circumstances of the recovery and identification of the men of the
USS
Indianapolis, that this time-honored ceremony had to be suspended. The vast majority of the
dead were not even brought aboard when found, but were attended to only by one or two sailors while
they hung off ladders or worked from floater nets attached to their ships.
The Action Reports of the rescue ships recorded the names of the men who could be positively identified. In
later years, interviews with some of the men involved in the recovery mission described their unsuccessful
efforts to identify the men due the bodies being decomposed. The men expressed great sorry for not being able
to afford the traditional sea burial. Circumstances simply did not allow it. They did the best they could do
by "committing the body to the deep".
It should also be remembered that those sailors tasked with securing and identifying floating remains,
were themselves, for the most part, merely boys called upon, to perform a task that would haunt them their
entire lives.
Ships that were involved with the rescue and retrieval of bodies after the sinking of USS Indianapolis:
USS Aylwin DD 355
USS Alvin C. Cockrell DE 366
USS Cecil J. Doyle DE 368
USS French DE 367
USS Helm DD 388
USS Madison DD 425
Ships present but recovered no bodies after the sinking:
As can be imagined, information for the "Buried at Sea" is sparse and sources are spotty.
Information about those who died in the water but whose bodies are not known to have been recovered comes
only from survivors. One survivor, Kenneth Mitchell S1c, wrote an
invaluable letter about the men he knew personally who did not
survive the sinking.
Project 888 honors the men who were officially identified and "Buried at Sea" as well as those who
were "Committed to the Deep" anonymously. Every attempt has been made to match Project 888 records
to all crew members identified, but some remain unknown. Our research continues.
? - Cited in some reference materials but some discrepancies in records, not identifiable,
or not in Project 888 records.
* - Misidentified on Action Report, verified by Service Number.
By Ship (Listed in order recovered)
USS Cecil J. Doyle DE 368
Monday August 6, 1945 0910-1717 hours
7 Unidentified crew members recovered.
17 Total crew members recovered.
ERNST, Robert Carl
DANIEL, H. W.
?
HUBBARD, Leland Russell
NEAL, Charles Keith
GAITHER, Forest Maylon
HAYNES, William Alexander
KELLY, Albert Raymond
SUDANO, Angelo Anthony
BING
?
BRIGHT, Chester Lee
Tuesday August 7, 1945 1245-1408 hours
2 Unidentified crew members recovered.
4 Total crew members recovered.
POHL, Theodore
PURCEL, Franklin Walter
USS Alvin C. Cockrell DE 366
Monday August 6 - Wednesday August 8, 1945
Stationed in search area. Total recovered unknown.
Note: In writings of George L. Clark QM3, USS
Cockrell, it's reported that at least
9 bodies were recovered but only one was able to be identified.
SPARKS, Charles Byrd
USS Helm DE 388
Sunday August 5 0930 hours - August 6 0530 hours, 1945
11 Unidentified crew members recovered.
28 Total crew members recovered.
BARKSDALE, Thomas Leon
HICKEY, Harry Todd
STRIPE, William Stanley
MASSIER, George Arcade
LATIMER, Billy Franklin
JENSEN, Chris Alstrum
E.W.N.
?
HOV, Donald Anthony
GREEN, Robert Urban
KLEIN, Raymond James
McDONALD, Franklin Gilreath Jr.
JONES, Kenneth Malcolm
GRINER, A.L.
?
DeMENT, Dayle Pershing
SHELTON, William Enloe Jr.
LEWIS, Eugene J.
?
GRIMM, Loren Everett
GARDNER, Roscoe W.
?
ABBOTT, George Stanley
C.C.E.
?
STRAIN, Joseph Mason
McHONE, Ollie
USS French DE 367
Monday August 6, 1500 - 1930 hours
19 Unidentified crew members recovered.
27 Total crew members recovered.
BOSS, Norbert George *
HUEBNER, Harry Helmut
KING, Richard Eugene
SAENZ, Jose Antonio
DOSS, James Monroe
HELSCHER, Ralph John
ROSE, Francis Edmund
McCOSKEY, Paul Franklin
Tuesday August 7, 1135 - 1445 hours
5 Unidentified crew members recovered.
8 Total crew members recovered.
LUNDGREN, Albert Davis
DUFRAINE, Delbert Elmer
MIRES, Carl Emerson
USS Madison DD 425
Monday August 3, 1500 - 1930 hours
0 Unidentified crew members recovered.
3 Total crew members recovered.
BATSON, Eugene Clifford
PAYNE, George David
RAHN, Alvin Wilder
USS Aylwin DD 355
Monday August 4, 1000 - 1155 hours
6-9 Total crew members recovered.
USS
Aylwin Action Report dated 9 August, 1945, states "All identification was removed and
figerprints were obtained from two bodies".
SCHEIB, Albert Eddie
BRUCE, Russell William
