USS Indianapolis CA-35
Historical Details

An introduction and brief explanation as to why the links to articles on this page were developed.

From the commissioning of this Portland-class Cruiser to her sinking, she was a famed vessel of the US Navy. She was the beloved ship of state of President Roosevelt who hosted world leaders and royalty on board. She served as the Flag Ship of Admiral Raymond Spruance, 5th Pacific Fleet. She earned 10 Battle Stars. Her fame and glory disappeared with her sinking as she became known as the worst sea disaster of the US Navy.

Off Okinawa, nine men were killed and twenty wounded on 31 Mar 1945 when the plane hit the ship and released a bomb. Indianapolis returned to the US for extensive repairs before her return to the war zone.

When the first telegram arrived families were shocked and in disbelief. None were aware that Indianapolis had been sunk. The telegram provided no details other than their loved one was "missing".

The disbelief could no longer be denied. The second telegram confirmed to the family that there was no hope of survival of their loved one.

Following the kamikaze attack, the crew welcomed the two months in port while Indianapolis was undergoing repairs, overhaul and a refitting. Happy and memorable times would not soon be forgotten. The men could never have imagined this would be their last liberty. Death was only a month away for most of them.

Top-secret cargo was placed on board Indy and transported at flank speed to the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands. No one on board knew they were carrying the components for "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

On July 15, 1945, Indianapolis was ordered from Mare Island, CA to Hunter's Point, CA, where she would take on board a top secret cargo for delivery to Tinian in the Marianna Islands. She was then ordered to Leyte in the Philippines. She would never arrive. She remains at sea, 7 miles deep in the Pacific Ocean.

After 316 men were rescued after five days in the water, the gruesome task began to recover and identify the men who did not survive the sinking of Indianapolis. Rescue ships were able to identify only a few of the hundreds of men who struggled for survival in the water.

The US Navy offered little information to the families of the men lost at sea in the sinking of Indianapolis. They were left to wonder or image why the ship sank and how their loved one died. With time, they had more and more questions and wanted answers. Most questions could never be answered.

Indianapolis sank in 12 minutes. For four nights and five days, an estimated 900 men fought to survive in the water. Many were partially or un-clothed, injured and had no life jacket. They believed help would soon arrive. The sharks arrived first.

A family was forever shattered following the sinking. A loved one was gone and the void lingered, creating destruction through the next generation.

Capt. McVay wrote a letter to each family of every man who died in the sinking. He could offer only general information about the tragedy and expressed his sorry for their loss. For many, questions still lingered and they were desperate for answers. Their responses to McVay convey the toll of the loss and the range of emotions experienced by the families. These letters take the reader into the soul of the bereaved.

Flossie Dimond wrote, "Dedicated to my son John Nelson Dimond who gave his life for his country due to enemy action." With a mother's love, she recorded his service on board Indianapolis. The pages turn from joy to sorry when she learns of John's death. Her memorial service for John was planned with the greatest detail and devotion. Through her scrapbook, she knew John would never be forgotten.