RIP SSG Edgar Harrell (USS Indianapolis)

[ABNAK]

https://www.fox13news.com/news/last-...rIiOkcmEG_Wh8M

I had the distinct honor to meet this guy twice. Maybe 10 years ago or so I was walking out of a local hospital and there was this guy sitting on a bench, reading a newspaper and I noticed the "USS Indianapolis Survivor" emblazoned on the left breast side of his polo shirt. I did a double take and backed up.....I love military history and knew what that shirt meant. I asked him "Are you an Indianapolis survivor?" Hey, you never know right? He replied "Well I'm sittin' here ain't I?" 😄 Yep, got me there! I proceeded to talk to him for probably 10 minutes and he was proud that his Marine detail on the Indy had guarded the first atomic bomb on it's way to Tinian. After they left Tinian, of course, it went downhill quickly. He was in the water for over 4 days. I asked him if he ever had the urge to go swimming in the ocean again and he adamantly said "Nope". I saw him a few years later at a local restaurant and he was eating lunch. When I got done I went to pay and told the cashier "You see that old guy over there? Add his lunch to my bill". I payed and walked over to him, and re-introduced myself. Told him that I had met him a couple years before and that he had no tab on the way out. He thanked me, but I laughed and said "Oh no, thank YOU! sir!" I patted him on the shoulder and left. Last time I saw him. 😔RIP SSG Harrell.

[utahjeepr]

Heard about that in the local news. The sinking of the Indy us one hell of a tale.

Report proudly to your next command SSGT.

[ABNAK]

Heard about that in the local news. The sinking of the Indy us one hell of a tale.

Report proudly to your next command SSGT.

Bravery under fire, like charging the enemy bunker to save your friends or running into certain death to drag a comrade to safety, is what we all ascribe to when we think of "heroism" with regards to military stuff, and rightly so.

The USS Indianapolis saga is wrought with bravery no doubt, but it is a story of raw survival. Unmitigated, clinging-to-life survival with an almost animal determination. Many of those guys had what those dire circumstances required; many did not. Can't say I would've endured it successfully.


SSG Harrell did......

[SteyrAUG]

Heard about that in the local news. The sinking of the Indy us one hell of a tale.

Report proudly to your next command SSGT.

Ranks right up their with Guadalcanal and Bastogne. That our country dropped the ball and kind of forgot about them makes it even worse.