In September, 1945, Capt. McVay began writing 879 letters to each family of every man who died in the
sinking. He could offer only general information about the sinking and expressed his sorrow for their loss.
For many, questions still lingered and they were desperate for answers. They responded to his letter with
their pleas for help. Others responded thanking the captain for his letter. Some wrote to express their
anger and blamed him for the death of their loved one. The toll of the tragedy and the range of emotions
experienced by the families are revealed in these letters.
With rare exceptions, all letters were transcribed as originally written. The original letters are held
at the
National Archives.
Declassified Auth: NND947548.
In addition to these letters, see
Unanswerable Questions.
