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yellowwing
07-30-04, 11:29 AM
On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis, which had just delivered key components of the Hiroshima atomic bomb to the Pacific island of Tinian, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Only 316 out of 1,196 men survived the sinking and shark-infested waters.

THE MARINES ABOARD INDIANAPOLIS:
Marine Detachments aboard U.S. Navy capital ships has been a tradition since the founding of the U.S. Navy in the war to gain America's freedom from England (1775-1783). There were 39 marines aboard Indianapolis when she went down. They comprised the Marine Detachment aboard. Marine Detachments are the spearhead of the Ship's Landing party--the first ashore- the first to fight and die if necessity calls for it. Marine Detachments are the armed "muscle" of the ship's Boarding Party, should the opportunity for boarding an enemy vessel present itself. They operate the Ship's Brig, and man various of the ship's weapons systems. They work and live side by side with the officers and sailors of the Ship's Company. They literally fight and die together. It was no less true aboard Indianapolis.

Of the 39 Marines aboard, only 9 survived the Indianapolis sinking and the subsequent ordeal. Captain McVay recommended the Navy Cross, (posthumously), for Captain Edward L. Parke, USMC, the Commanding Officer of the Indianapolis' Marine Detachment. Writing of Captain Parke, Captain McVay's recommendation read in part,"... For extraordinary heroism in rescuing and organizing a large group of men following the sinking of the USS INDIANAPOLIS... Finally collapsing himself from exhaustion. His unselfish conduct in the face of the greatest personal danger was outstanding and in keeping with the highest tradition of the Naval Service."

Excerpt from author Patrick J. Finneran on USSIndianapolis.org (http://www.ussindianapolis.org/pfinnstory.htm)