Wednesday, May 11, 2016

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage






Just heard about a must see movie for me! It is "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage".  It is based on the true story of the USS Indianapolis, a ship that was sunk by the Japanese in World War II.  You do know what happened, don't you? It was mentioned in the movie "Jaws". (You must remember the great actor, Robert Shaw giving his speech about the Indianapolis.)  There were 900 men who survived the sinking but were left adrift in the ocean for FIVE DAYS and many of them were taken by the sharks.  The story is not just about the incredible strength of the survivors but also of the bravery of those who rescued them. Please, remember the name ADRIAN MARKS...a true hero....he landed his seaplane to rescue the men after being ordered not to do so.  They actually tied the men to the wings of the seaplane and the plane just b...a...r....e...l...y lifted out of the water!
(I just looked this up and I wrote a post about this in September of 2011.  You may read my post just here.

Here are three books that I recommend:
In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton
Fatal Voyage by Dan Kurzman
Left For Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for The USS Indianapolis by Hunter Scott and Pete Nelson

That last book...it is a continuing story about the Indianapolis and honestly, it deserves a movie all its own.  By the efforts of this 12 year old from Pensacola Florida, he and the remaining survivors were able to get the US Navy to reverse the dishonorable discharge that had been given to Captain McVay of the Indianapolis. (P.S.   From further reading...you might know how this played out. The US Navy did not EXACTLY reverse the ruling but somehow in a technical kind of way, exonerated the Captain without a full pardon, if you will.  Perhaps I have read this incorrectly. If so, I will be happy to come back and edit this. I to try to be honest and get things right on my blog.)

Hunter Scott is now Lt. Hunter Scott and is a Naval Aviator based in California.  And I have read that a movie about his connection to the USS Indianapolis is now in works.  So look out for it in the future! 







20 comments:

  1. Kay, That movie will be worth watching. I'll check the other posts out too. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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    1. Thank you, Susie. I hope that people will go to see the movie and appreciate the real people behind it.
      Blessings to you. xx

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  2. I love movies like this, while hearbreaking they teach us much about courage and valour.
    Thank you for leaving such wonderful comments on my blog post, while you felt they were 'wee' they meant the world to me.

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    1. Courage and valour, something not much talked about in these times.
      Oh, thank YOU for your sweet words. "They meant the world to me", those dear words make me feel thankful that I have a blog. Take GREAT care of yourself, you are a precious soul. x

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  3. I didn't know the full story of the Indianapolis. That's a remarkable story. I'm glad some of them made it out of that.

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    1. Mark, it is a truly amazing story and it is a TRUE one too! I read recently that one of the survivor's children said that her Dad would dog paddle in his sleep, still remembering his time in the water.

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  4. I cannot watch war movies. Sorry. But this is an extraordinary story. How brave they all were.

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    1. I can't watch some of the more intense violence in war movies, I admit to turning my head at times.

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  5. Such heroism, i'm glad it's not being forgotten.

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    1. I know, and I try my best to call attention to true stories like this one.

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  6. I have heard about this over the years but did not know the full account. Thank you for sharing such an important event that should most definitely be recognized and remembered.

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    1. I think it should be recognized. There is so much more to the story than what I have on this short post!

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  7. Just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for a Liebster Award.

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    1. Oh, thank you very much!
      How about our Braves? Remember my post calling them the "BAD NEWS BRAVES"? I must be psychic! HA!
      Thanks again for the award! Do I get to buy a new dress and accept in front of a large audience? No? Oh, I am relieved! :-)

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  8. You tenaciously connected through all the sources on this episode. It made it complete. The heroism is being appropriately recognized. The eventual movie is the icing on the cake. Wonderful take Kay!

    Hank

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    1. Hello! Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope the movie will come out soon, let me know if you hear about it!
      :-)

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  9. I really knew nothing of this story until your blog and now some more research on my own. What a tragedy. It is heartbreaking that years later the Captain committed suicide, evidently because of grief over the incident. Thank you for letting us know more about our history, Kay!

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    1. I know, I didn't go into great detail, so I am glad you took the time to look it up. It was a great wrong done to the Captain of the ship and those who were under him, never stopped trying to get this corrected.

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  10. I always enjoyed the late Robert Shaw...he was a wonderful actor.

    I must keep an eye out for this movie. It should be good. I see that Nicolas Cage is in it. I like Cage.

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    1. I know, Robert shaw was a great actor. I hop they don't Hollywood up the movie too much if you know what I mean.

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