USS Indianapolis - Broomfield, CO
Posted by: 
Outspoken1
N 39° 55.116 W 105° 04.104
13S E 494154 N 4418724
Bench-style memorial to the crew of the USS Indianapolis
Waymark Code: WMC183
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 07/13/2011
Views: 6
This polished granite memorial bench reads as follows:
DEDICATED JULY 30, 2000
TO ALL THE MEN WHO SERVED ABOARD
THE USS INDIANAPOLIS CA-35
[Photo of the USS Indianapolis]
Still at sea...
The USS Indianapolis was commissioned on November 15, 1932. She was 610' in length and 66' at the beam. Prior to World War II she served several times as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's ship of state. She distinguished herself and all who served aboard her during her career in the Pacific, earning a total of ten Battle Stars. In March 1945 she was hit by a kamikaze (suicide plane) causing 38 causalities. Following repairs she was chosen to deliver the world's first operational atomic bomb to Tinian on July 26, 1945.
After 14 minutes past midnight on July 30, 1945, midway between Guam and Leyte Gulf, she was hit by two Japanese torpedoes. Within minutes, she sank. Very few life rafts were able to be released and most survivors wore only the standard kapok life jacket. After fours days in shark infested waters, they were accidentally discovered by a PV-1 Ventura Bomber. Assistance was requested and a PBY seaplane was dispatched. Upon learning the men were the crew of the USS Indianapolis, more assistance was requested. The USS Doyle was the first rescue ship to arrive. The captain of the Doyle pointed his largest searchlight into the sky to serve as a beacon for the other rescue ships the USS Bassett, USS Ringness, USS Register, and the USS
Talbot. The beacon was the first indication to most survivors that their prayers had been answered. Help had at last arrived. Of the 1197 men, 880 had died and only 317 remained alive. After five days of constant shark attacks, terrible thirst, starvation, suffering from exposure and their wounds, the men of the Indianapolis were at last rescued from the sea.
CONTRIBUTORS
PAUL J. MURPHY, USS INDIANAPOLIS SURVIVOR AND BROOMFIELD RESIDENT
Mrs. John Annuti Mary Lou Waiz Murphy
American Legion Post 1111 Murphy Children
Broomfield Eagles Club 3940 Mary, Ginger, Paula, Michael, Leonard
Broomfield Rotary Club Regis University
Larry and Tammy Brown Rundus Funeral Home
Lauren Rose Brown Storage Tek
Main Line Pictures, Inc. VFW Post 9596
Monument Designed by Honorary Survivor John G. Gromosiak
The bench reads:
14 MEN FROM COLORADO WERE ABOARD
ALL WERE LOST AT SEA
The reverse of the memorial has a list of the men who were lost during this tragedy. While investigating this event, I found several websites with credible and controversial information about the Courts Martial of the captain of the USS Indianapolis. The US Department of Navy site tells of one version, while another independent USS Indianapolis site reflects information 'forgotten' on the official US Navy site.