Heggie, William Arnold RDM3
844 06 58

Oakland 2, Calif.
Oct 5, 1945
3217 Laurel Ave. (not St.)

Capt. Charles B. McVay, III
Commanding Officer
2126 Connecticut Ave
Washington, 8 D.C.

Dear Sir,

Please do not be too surprised to be hearing from the mother of Wm. (Bill) Arnold Heggie, Rdm 3c Item Division from your former ship U.S.S. Indianapolis.

On Aug 13 received a government telegram, the day "peace" with Japan was declared, that my son was missing.

Oh! The irony of fate, peace, when - my son is, missing.

Everyone including myself was so happy, and so excited to know war, all wars, both wars, were over. Peace when this message to me: Everyone near me became incoherent, frightened for me, tearful, almost frantic then a deathly stillness.

If they all took it that way, felt that way, you well know how I the relative, the mother, felt.

It was an awful shock, and one that I shall never, can never, recover from if I do not know the details of, soon, soon. "Missing" is not enough: no indeed. I wish to contact some of his "buddies", some of his superiors in the service, survivors, who knew him: saw him or did not see him get off of that sinking ship, who saw him, or did not see him, after he was in the water: and who knows, or is pretty sure, that, he was saved, or, went down: or who knows whether he is in a Navy hospital on Guam or some other place:

I cannot, in fact will not, stand this awful suspence much longer.

Please do not, do not, turn this letter over to the government or, to the Commanding Officer of missing Navy men - I wish to hear from you, personally. I feel sure that you can give me the facts.

Even tho I am a mother, I am a nurse too, and can and will take it: regardless of what the news or information might be: also I destroy burn your letter after reading.

Elizabeth Arnold Heggie

Pers-8249-ade

October 12, 1945

My dear Mrs. Heggie,

Your letter of October 5, 1945, concerning your son, William Arnold Heggie, reached me a few days ago. Today as I was answering it, your registered letter of October 7, 1945, arrived, so I shall attempt to answer all your questions in this letter.

It was unfortunate that we had no record of your change in address and that my letter to you of September 25, 1945, was sent to your former address. This office was not aware of your present address until receipt of your letter of October 5, 1945.

All records, watch bill, watch lists, etc., were lost with the ship, therefore it is impossible to correctly tell you just where your son was at the time of the explosions. The disaster happened shortly after midnight so many of the man were asleep. I regret that I do not have the information as to where your son was at the time of the explosions. To my knowledge, he was not seen in the water by any of the survivors. I have requested the Office of Public Information to forward you a copy of the names and addresses of all the survivors as you requested.

I do not believe a submarine could have picked up any men without some one of the survivors having knowledge of it and none of the survivors stated that they had seen any type of vessel, either before the explosions occurred or when they were in the water.

The nearest island was over three hundred miles from where the ship was sunk. I do not believe it possible for anyone to have reached land as the distance was too great.

I am sorry that I cannot give you more information, but I have told you all that I know.

Again, may I express my deepest sympathy to you.

Sincerely,

CHAS. B. MCVAY, III Captain, U. S. Navy

Mrs. Elizabeth A. Heggie
3217 Laurel Avenue.
Oakland 2, California

Heggie, William Arnold RDM3
844 06 58

Oakland 2, Calif.
Oct 7, 1945
3217 Laurel Avenue.

Captain U.S. Navy
Chas. B. McVay, III
Navy Department
Bureau of Naval Personnel
Washington, 25 D.C.

Dear Sir,
Today I received your letter regarding my son, and I regret oh so much that the stenographers or some one persists in sending the letters addressed to me, to Fort Smith, Ark. to an address that I left in June.

Left because of questionable happenings going on there, a good share of the time: especially by a daughter who has had and still has a bad reputation - tho recently (this spring) married to an unsuspecting lieutenant. I do not wish my mail or, my name associated with that house and house number.

The letter, tho arriving there, on Sept 29th I have only received.

I have caught this daughter taking my mail and my purse and other belongings.

So do, please, see that no more of my mail goes to Fort Smith Ark.

I do not figure my self out - I wonder if a part of my brain is not functioning?

But I cannot feel that my son, Wm Arnold Heggie, is gone, really dead. Altho cold facts tell me he is.

You say two explosions ripped out the lower front part of the vessel: just where was my son located in the Radar room, or part, on what deck?

Please answer this question and this letter: please do. and I have been told, by several sailors thru out the post two years, that a great many of the boys do not wear thier dog tags, most of the time.

Do you think that there might have been German or Jap submarines near, that would have picked up as many boys and men, as they could, and then just submerged and slipped away?

I would like to know what you think and, do you think it possible, at all, that any of the boys or men could have gotten to any of those many atolls?

I read in the paper recently, where one young fellow, found out he had swam eighteen miles, to one of these atolls, partly of course being carried in by the currents ever going landward.

Please let me know what you think of these possibilities.

I cannot accept, all, of the cold, hard, heart breaking facts, yet.

Would the Navy or the government give me the names and addresses of the other survivors?

Yours truly,
Elizabeth Arnold Heggie
Please, do not send answer to Fort Smith, Ark.

This daughters marriage was hurried affair: immediately after her divorce from a husband who, seemingly learned of her life shortly after his marriage to her.

Captain McVay answered concerns in this second letter in his first response letter.
The following is a follow-up letter from US Navy Records.

Dear Mrs. Hickey:

Captain McVay has asked me to inform you of the medals and awards your late son, Harry Todd Hickey, has earned for his service in the United States Navy. His record indicates that he is entitled to:

1. American Area Campaign Medal
2. Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal. with four (4) bronze stars 3. World War II Victory Medal.

Campaign ribbons themselves, distinguished from the medals which they represent, are worn by eligible personnel in lieu of campaign medals. The actual campaign medals to which your son is entitled are not at present available, but will be forwarded to you upon application at an appropriate time in the future. It is suggested that you inquire of this Bureau, at a later date, as to when these medals will be available for distribution.

Campaign ribbons may be purchased at any sporting goods store in your vicinity.

By direction of Chief of Naval Personnel:

Sincerely yours,

W. A. HOWARD
Lieut. (jg), USNR
Records Activity