USS Indianapolis

The USS Indianapolis is remembered as one of the most harrowing stories of the United States Navy. On July 30th, 1945, the Portland-class Heavy Cruiser was struck by Japanese torpedoes following the delivery of atomic bomb components to Tinian Island. The ship that was carrying nearly 1200 crew members was hit and sank within 12 minutes, leaving the nearly 900 surviving men stranded over 280 miles from shore. Due to a multitude of factors, the ships sinking went unnoticed until August 2nd, 1945, when a routine air patrol spotted the remaining survivors. Many of them were injured from shark attacks and delirious from lack of food and water. Of the initial 1195 sailors and Marines on board only 316 members survived, making the USS Indianapolis one of the worst Naval disasters in history.

On board the ship, it is believed that there were three crew members from Texas. Seaman First Class Loel Dene (L.D.) Cox was a native of Sidney, Texas. Cox was one of the 316 survivors and describes that during the four days stranded at sea he saw sharks everyday and never knew whether they would attack or just swim by. Cleatus Lebow was also a survivor of the USS Indianapolis. A resident of Memphis, Texas, Lebow jumped into the Pacific and clung on to floating debris after the ship had been stuck. He floated in the ocean witnessing the horrors of shark attacks and cruel temperatures until rescue teams had been sent on August 2nd. Also on board was Clifford Josey, a 19-year-old from Meridian, Texas. Josey, unfortunately was a victim of the sinking and lost his life at sea on July 30th, 1945.

Listen and read to two survivors, L.D. Cox and Glenn Morgan, tell their stories of survival and service aboard the USS Indianapolis.

To learn more about the USS Indianapolis visit the official website: ussindianapolis.com

To learn more about the stories of Texas USS Indianapolis survivors visit: https://texoso66.com/2020/03/19/uss-indianapolis/