USS Indianapolis CA-35
Lost At Sea

Name: Thomas McNABB Jr.
Rank / Rating: F2-Fireman Second Class
Service #: 953 46 91
DOB: Aug 06, 1926
From: Bad Axe, Michigan
Parents: Thomas and Hazel McNabb
Went Aboard: May 12, 1945
Age When Ship Went Down: 18 years, 11 months, 24 days
Spouse:
Children:
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Carl
Date Posted: Jul 30, 2025

Fireman Second Class McNabb, Jr. was born in Bad Axe, Michigan on August 6, 1926. He was the third of four sons of Thomas and Hazel McNabb of Croswell, Michigan.

He enlisted in the USN on February 20, 1945 and received basic training at USNTC (United States Naval Training Center), Great Lakes, Illinois, Company 249; (Tommy” was home on furlough mid-April when the death of President Roosevelt was announced). On May 12, 1945, he was informed of his assignment to USS Indianapolis: “I got a darned good deal. One of the nicest ships the U.S. has”, he wrote from Shoemaker, California. As F2/c, “A” Div. of Section A, he worked in the machine and Diesel boat shops, as engineer on Indy's 18-passenger whale boats. He wrote home on July 15; “They got me up at 0100 to take the Captain on a 1-1/2 hour trip to the San Francisco Shore...”. His on-board nickname was “Paul,” for Paul Bunyan. Tommy often wrote about the “great bunch of fellows” he was serving with and referred to Indianapolis as “the nicest ship of the fleet...and I ain’t bragging!” In his last letter home, dated July 25, Tommy wrote, "got a bad case of pimples" - which was his way of telling his parents he was "headed to the islands where all the fighting is", and closed with "So long and Smooth Sailing", Love Tom”. In late 1945, a shipmate contacted the family and indicated that Tommy had survived the torpedo attack, but not the ordeal in the sea. In 1995, Tommy's brother applied for and was granted an "In Memory of" site and stone in Arlington's Memorial Section "H" site 530 for his lost brother. Tommy posthumously received the Purple Heart. The family still has copies of all the letters that Tommy wrote to his parents and brothers during his days of service. They also have the letters that his mother and father wrote to him that were returned "Undeliverable" after the sinking. MICHIGAN MEMORIAL PLAQUE See photographs (posted below) to view a copy of a memorial plaque that was dedicated circa 1946 to honor seventy-two (72) State of Michigan men who served on USS Indianapolis CA-35 and who were Lost At Sea. Thomas MCNABB, Jr.'s name is listed on the plaque! Per the caption on one of the photos, the plaque was originally planned in 1946 for display at a proposed Detroit Civic Center. The plaque was initially displayed at the Detroit Naval Post VFW #233. However, the plaque had vanished for decades, fueling rumors of theft, being melted for scrap, or hidden away in a private basement. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Jeff Ortiz (nephew of LAS Y3 Orlando Ortiz) and Joni Deaver (cousin of LAS sailor S2c Charles Roof Jr.), this priceless piece of history has been re-discovered in the Detroit Historical Society storage basement in Michigan. One of the photos shows Jeff Ortiz and Ralph McNabb (nephew of LAS F2 Thomas McNabb, Jr) standing behind the very dusty plaque as it was found.