USS Indianapolis survivor

[mthrockmor]

My daughter and I were doing some shopping at the Walmart in Clarksville, Tennessee. Along walks this older gentleman with a nice golf shirt, embroided on it is "USS Indianapolis Survivor." I pause thinking, there is no way...

I give chase, stop him and sure enough. He was a 21-year old Marine on board. Roughly eleven-hundred left Guam, around nine-hundred made it into the water after being torpedoed, only three-hundred or so survived five-days in the water.

His name is Ed Harrell. He frequently speaks to groups about his experience. I am definitely going to arrange a time for him to speak. I am thinking of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville sometime in September. You can see his website at www.indysurvivor.com. If you would like to attend let me know. I will post details as I make this happen.

I'm pretty stoked! If I knew how to post pictures I would post the one I took of him with my sixteen-year old daughter.

Details pending.

Boo

[MarineUS]

Man you're lucky. I would have given anything to shake that man's hand.

 

[Pigslilspaz]

One of my grandfather's close family was on it when it went down. Lost his two best friends as well.

My family has never had any luck in the navy, the AF is a whole other story though lol.

[Hap]

WOW   

[lyric1]

 

[crazyivan]

WOW  

Yeah Wow!
images from his photo gallery.

[mthrockmor]

Thanks for posting the pictures. That's him!

Boo

[Softail]

Its amazing to meet the people that were part of the history most of us have come to love learning.   You can now put a face and a persons name to a historical event that before was just a story in a book.    It gives you a different context and insight into the event and the people involved.  This is one of the reasons I started volunteering some of my time to escort the Honor Flights that come into DC.    They fly in WWII Vets and bus them down to DC so they can see some of the monuments erected in their honor!  Tomb of the Unknown, WWII Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, etc.

You get to meet some incredible people who always respond to our "Thanks" with a "I was just doing my job."   I've met Solders and Sailors who were onboard the USS Oklahoma in Pearl, the USS Honolulu at Leyte Gulf, in the muck in Guam, on the Yorktown at Midway...   Their stories are incredible and they are some of the most humble folk you will ever meet.   

I encourage anyone who is interested in WWII History to get involved in programs like Honor Flight!   It is a great program and an awesome opportunity to tell the VETS Thank You and spend a few hours with them talking about anything from Wild Shore leaves to staring down an inbound Torpedo Bomber over a 40mm gun.

Salute to ALL the VETS          

[GFShill]

You wouldn't believe some of the people I've met doing WW2 reenacting. Jake McNiece is still just as rowdy as he was in his Filthy Thirteen days. Ed Pepping and the others... you get them together and its like they're still in their 20's, hawking at the ladies.  Some of the stories you don't want to know...

[RoGenT]

 

I hope some day they find the wreckage before the last survivor finally passes on. I think not only so he can see this once proud ship, but also prehaps have his ashes placed on the ship itself.