Evans, Arthur Jerome, PhM2c, USNR

Mission, Texas
Oct. 8- 1945

Captain Charles B McVeigh, the Third.
Navy Department
Bureau of Naval Personnel.
Washington. 25. DC.

My dear Captain:

Your consoling letter under date of Sept. 29 - 1945 was received with many other beautiful and sweet letters, none of which can, of course, replace the absence of my son, Arthur Jerome Evans, Pharmacist, Mate second class, U.S. Naval Reserve. One of his teachers added to her sympathy card: "Dear Mrs. Evans: I want you to know I am thinking of you and grieving with you. I really loved that boy with those beautiful brown eyes and I can only enclose this little poem, for no words I can say will help. Remember me to Norma and Irene. Myrtle, Rome."

A mother's prayer.
By Laura Thompson Pickering.

My only son has proudly gone
To fight for liberty.
God grant that I who stay at home.
May be as brave as he.
I would not ask Thee Lord, to keep
Him safe above all others,
For Victory calls for sacrifice
And all of them have Mothers.
But give me strength to face my cross
And say "Thy will be done,"
As Mary did so long ago,
When She, too, gave her Son.

All of which I think is lovely and consoling yet the most consoling thing I can think of would be if you knew Arthur personally, and if you know anything of his whereabouts on the ship, at the time of the explosion, and the manner in which he passed, and if or if not, he went down with the ship.

I trust in all sincerity, that you will someday find time to write me a letter, as to a mother of one of your boys, and give me the information you have, good or bad, and I trust that you and the others that served with Arthur and suffered those horrible days on the water, will someday be Honored by our Nation, Memorializing, "The spirit of that Great Ship, The U.S.S. Cruiser Indianapolis," that carried the atomic bomb that closed the War and gave their lives to save the lives of probably a half million boys in taking Japan.

Very sincerely.
Mrs. Lenora Evans.
1223 Dunlap.
Mission, TX

Evans, Arthur Jerome, PhM2c, USNR
Pers-8249-LK

October 12th, 1945.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

Your kind letter of October 8th, 1945, reached me today. I regret that there is little I can add to the information contained in my letter of September 29th, 1945.

All of the ship's records went down with the ship, therefore, the exact location of Arthur"s bunk, his battle station and his whereabouts at the time of the explosion are not known. I however, believe he would have been sleeping near sick bay, which was in the path of the explosion and of course could not have survived.

Since I spent most of the time on the bridge of the ship when we were at sea, I had little opportunity to know many of the Pharmacist's Mates as they rarely had occasion to come to the bridge. All reports from his immediate superior, however, indicated that his work was consistently excellent.

I regret that I am unable to give you more personal information but feel you will understand why.

In closing, may I again express my deepest sympathies.

Very sincerely,
CHAS. B. McVay, III
Captain U.S. Navy.

Mrs. Lenora Evans.
1223 Dunlap.
Mission