Kern, Harry Gilbert, S1
850 92 61

September 28, 1945

Dear Capt. McVay

I am the wife of Harry Gilbert Kern, who lost his life when the Indianapolis was sunk.

I received a very nice letter from you yesterday but I am wondering if you are permitted to divulge any further details.

My husband was in Division 3. He had quite a few friends but none of his buddies are among the survivors.

I was to Mare Island each time the ship was in dry-dock. That way a lot of us girls became friends and started corresponding. There was a group of seven girls and all of us have lost our husbands and fathers of our children. I don't have to tell you that whatever we could find out from any of the survivors would be greatly appreciated. You said in your letter that you did not know how my husband lost his life but that he probably went down with his ship. You don't know the mental agony we girls are going through wondering how are husbands did die. It would be great relief to know. You said that fifteen officers were saved. Are you allowed to tell any of their names? Was Lt Morris of Division 3 one of them? Do you know of any men of Division 3 that was saved? Do you personally think that the men could have drifted to any small islands near by?

I do want you to know that I thank God that you are able to come home. The men who were under you admired you very much. Little incidents like some of the following made men under you want to serve on your ship. One day in May when the ship was in dry dock a group of us girls were standing along the starboard side when we saw you coming down the gang plank. I thought you were going to scold us for standing there yelling at the boys so I walked away from the girls and started toward the forward end of the ship. In the meantime you had gotten into a station wagon, which had been waiting for you and started to drive away when you saw me. You stopped and asked me if I wished to ride home. I shook my head no. You probably don't remember but the fellows that saw it did and so do I. Not many officers would have done such for just a seaman's wife. Also my husband told me that you had put on the "dope sheet" that if any of them wanted to fish, you had fishing equipment that they could use. You said in your letter that you wanted me to know that my husband had done his part in the team-work which made the ship an efficient unit of the fleet. I want you to know that if it had not been for you and your kind ways that team-work would not have been possible.

Thanking you again for your letter and the things you did to make my husbands life pleasant while aboard your ship. I remain

Yours truly
Virginia M. Kern

KERN, Harry Gilbert
Pers-8249-LK

October 8, 1945

My dear Mrs. Kern,

Your kind letter of September 28, 1945, reached me several days ago. I regret that there is little I can add to the information contained in my letter to you of September 25, 1945 concerning the manner in which your husband lost his life.

All of the ship's records were lost and therefore the names of the men of the third division are not available. Lieutenant (jg) K. H. Morse, the 3rd Division officer, is not one of the survivors. I have requested that the Office of Public Information send you a list of all the survivors.

There were no small islands near the position the INDIANAPOLIS was sunk. It was 300 miles to the nearest land (Pelilieu), so it is very unlikely that anyone drifted ashore.

In closing, may I again express my deepest sympathy.

Very sincerely,

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

Mrs. Virginia M. Kern
725 So. Poplar Street
Bucyrus, Ohio