>>>
>>> IN
>>> IN 1945, THE U.S. INDIANAPOLIS WAS STRUCK BY
JAPANESE TORNADOES.
JAPANESE TORNADOES. IT IS NOW THEY WERE IN SHARK-
INFESTED WATERS.
INFESTED WATERS. IT TELL THE TRUE STORY OF THE
SURVIVORS AND THEIR 50 YEAR
FIGHT TO EXONERATE THE INNOCENT
MAN WRONGLY COURT-MARTIALED FOR
THE SINKING.
THE SINKING. THE AUTHOR AND A INDIANAPOLIS
SURVIVOR IS HERE.
YOU ENTERED THE SERVICE VERY
YOUNG.
YOUNG.
YOUNG. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
>> I WAS 17.
I ENTERED ON MY 17th BIRTHDAY I
GOT MY FATHER TO SIGN FOR ME ON
MY 17th BIRTHDAY.
>> WHY DID YOU WANT TO GO?
>> I USED TO WALK AND THEY HAD
BIG ADS WITH BIG BEAUTIFUL
GIRLS UP ON THE FEDERAL
BUILDING AND SHIPS AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. SO I WANT THAT.
>> SO YOU END UP IN JAPAN.
AND WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A
FILM THAT IS PUT TOGETHER THAT
TELLS US WHAT HAPPENED THERE
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU. LET'S TAKE A LISTEN TO THAT.
>> WE WERE AND THEY WENT AND
RAISED THE FLAG.
WESTERN UP ON THE TOP DECK AND
HE HAD BIG BINOCULARS.
I LOOKED UP AND REMEMBER
TURNING AROUND AND TELLING HIM
AND SAID BIG DEAL AND GAVE HIM
BACK THE GLASSES AND WALKED
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. HOWDY KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE A
FAMOUS DEAL.
FAMOUS DEAL. HE WAS A BIG DEAL, GUY.
>> A DEAL BIG.
>> LET'S SWITCH TOPICS TO THAT
NIGHT AND PEOPLE BEING IN THE
WATER AND THE SINKING OF THE
SHIP WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> JUST TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM
THE SHIP.
THE SHIP.
THE SHIP. I DIDN'T HAVE A LIFE JACKET.
WE JUMPED OFF THE SHIP
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. HE HAD A LIFE JACKET AND I
DIDN'T.
DIDN'T.
DIDN'T. SO HE SAID STAY WITH ME AND
WE'LL I'LL HELP YOU TILL
SOMEBODY COMES AND HELP US.
WITHOUT A LIFE JACKET, COULD
YOU NOT VERY WELL MAKE IT.
BUT HIT SOMETHING.
I DIDN'T FIND HIM.
I THOUGHT THEY HIT HIM.
SO SWIMMING OUT OF THERE --
AWAY FROM THE SHIP WAS WHAT I
DID.
DID.
DID. SO
DID. SO I
DID. SO I SWAM AS FAR AWAY AS I
COULD.
COULD.
COULD. >>
COULD. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK KEPT YOU
GOING FOR FIVE DAYS?
>> WELL, I HAD A CREW THAT I
HELPED FOR FIVE DAYS.
AND ABOUT THE FOURTH DAY AND
NIGHT, I HEARD SOME SAILORS
TALKING IN SPANISH.
I THOUGHT, I'M GOING CRAZY
BECAUSE OF THE SALT WATER OR
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. IT WAS LIKE 12:00 AT NIGHT.
THE NEXT MORNING, I WENT
SWIMMING AROUND AND I FOUND
THEM AND MY OTHER FRIEND.
THEY WERE FROM TUCSON.
THEY MADE ME PRETTY HAPPY TO
FIND THEM.
FIND THEM. BUT WHEN I WENT BACK TO MY
REGULAR SPOT WHERE I HAD WITH
MY CREW CHIEF, A LOT HIM THAT
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>
DAY. >> SORRY.
>> SORRY.
>> SORRY. SARAH, YOU'RE CONSIDERED ONE OF
THE EXPERTS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO
THE INDIANAPOLIS THAT I THINK
IS A STORY THAT IS LOST TO
GENERATIONS TODAY.
GENERATIONS TODAY. TELL ME HOW YOU CONTACTED THE
SURVIVORS AND WHY YOU GOT TO
HAVE HAD IN THIS AND WANTED TO
MAKE THIS A COMPLETE CHRONICLE?
>> INITIALLY I HEARD ABOUT IT
AS A TEENAGER.
IT WAS REDUCED TO A SINGLE
LINE, THE SHIP THAT CARRIED A
BOMB AND SUNK.
THE SHIP WAS TASK WITH CARRYING
ALL THE URANIUM TO DROP ON MORE
REESH JAPAN.
REESH JAPAN. SO THEY WERE TASKED WITH
CARRYING THE URANIUM.
NO ONE ABOUT IT THE CAPTAIN
KNEW ABOUT IT.
SO THEY WERE CARRYING THIS
ATOMIC BOMB ACROSS THE PACIFIC
ON A HIGH SPEED RUN AND THEY
JUST DELIVERED IT.
AND A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THAT
WAS SUNK.
WAS SUNK.
WAS SUNK. I SPOKE ABOUT WORLD WAR II AND
SHE'S CREDITED WITH ENDING THE
CAR.
CAR.
CAR. >>
CAR. >> AND WE NEED TO KNOW MORE AND
THE BOOK IS FASCINATING.
THERE WAS A PERSON COURT-
MARTIALED FOR THE SINKING.
TELL ME HOW THIS TURNED INTO
THE 50 YEAR EFFORT TO CLEAR HIS
NAME.
NAME.
NAME. >>
NAME. >> WHEN THE SHIP SUNK THERE
WERE MANY THINGS THAT WENT
WRONG.
WRONG.
WRONG. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS
THAT THE FLAG SHIP OF THE FIFTH
FLEET DISAPPEARED AND NOBODY
KNEW.
KNEW.
KNEW. AND
KNEW. AND HOW COULD THAT GO FOR FIVE
DAYS AND NO ONE KNEW AND ALL
THESE MEN DYING IN THE WATER.
AND SOMEBODY HAD TO BE BLAMED.
879 MEN WERE LOST.
WHEN THE SHIP IS LOST AND ALL
THOSE LIVES ARE LOST WHO IS TO
BLAME, THE CAPTAIN IS THE
EASIEST TO BLAME.
THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN BLAMED.
BUT THE CAPTAIN WAS COURT-
MARTIALED.
MARTIALED. HE WAS THE FIRST CAPTAIN COURT-
MARTIALED FOR THE LOSS OF A
SHIP DURING WAR.
THERE WAS MORE TO.
IT TOOK THEM 50 YEARS.
THE SURVIVORS WORKED TOGETHER.
THERE WERE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE
THAT WORKED ALONG THE WAY AND
THEY DID EXONERATE THE CAPTAIN.
>> WHY DID THE SURVIVORS TELL
YOU THAT THEY WERE CONVINCED
THAT HE WAS NOT TO BLAME.
>> PERSON THAT WAS COMING TO
SINK THE SHIP TESTIFIED.
THE COURT MARSHALED.
THE PERSON DOING THE
TRANSLATING, DID NOT TRANSLATE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. THESE ARE HIGH RANKING MILITARY
OFFICIALS.
OFFICIALS. THIS IS RIGHT AFTER THE WAR
ENDED.
ENDED.
ENDED. THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THE SHIP
SANK THE SAME DAY THE WAR
ENDED.
ENDED.
ENDED. >>
ENDED. >> SO EVENTUALLY THE COMMANDER
WAS CLEARED?
WAS CLEARED? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THERE ARE TIME NOW WHEN YOU
GETTING TO WITH OTHER SURVIVORS
FROM THE SHIP, RIGHT?
>> I DO.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. >> IF YOU COME TO HIS FIRST
REUNION.
REUNION.
REUNION. >> TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE FEEL
BEING SEEING SOME OF YOUR
COMRADES?
COMRADES?
COMRADES? >> THERE IS ONLY SEVEN AT THE
REUNION.
REUNION.
REUNION. THEY MAY NOT RECOGNIZE ME.
AND I MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THEM.
BUT I HAD DIFFERENT FEELINGS AT
THAT TIME.
THAT TIME. I DID GO TO UP WITH BECAUSE I
-- A MONTH AFTER THE SHIP WENT
DOWN, COMING BACK, ONE OF MY
OWN OFFICERS AND I WENT TO THE
FIRST REUNION WITH THE CAPTAIN.
I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL HIM THAT
I WAS GOING THERE TO LOOK FOR
THE PILOT.
THE PILOT. THEY GAVE ME THE BREAD AND
WATER BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO GO
DOWN THERE TO BEAT HIM UP OR
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. >> I'M GLAD YOU DID NOT FIND
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. >> BUT HE DID COME TO THE
REUNION AND I NEVER WENT BACK
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >>
AGAIN. >> I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU'VE
DONE IN YOUR LIFE.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU
REUNITING WITH SOME OF YOUR
COMRADES.
COMRADES.
COMRADES. HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED? >> I THINK ABOUT IT EVERY
NIGHT.
NIGHT.
NIGHT. I
NIGHT. I NEVER GET OVER IT.
I GET UP AT 2, 3 IN THE MORNING
SO I WILL NOT THINK OF THE
SHIP.
SHIP.
SHIP. HE
SHIP. HE KEEPS ME MIND AWAY FROM IT T
NEVER GOES AWAY.
>> HE PROBABLY DID NOT TELL
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. HE
YOU. HE CAME BACK TO THE WAR ON HE
WENT BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL.
HE LED HIS TEAM TO THE STATE
CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR BASKETBALL.
>> I READ ABOUT THAT.
>> YOU'VE HAD ABOUT 15 LIVES.
INCREDIBLE.
INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK