@USA Said 
In 1945, the ship Indianapolis was returning to further duty after delivering the first operational atomic bomb. It was sunk by a Japanese sub, and nearly 600 of its sailors were eaten by sharks. At the time, the story attracted major media attention: someone had to be the scapegoat. Despite the protests of the ship?s crew, in typical military fashion, the ship?s captain was court-martialed.
Years later, an eleven year old kid began studying the Indianapolis story as a school project. His work eventually led to a full pardon by President Clinton. Our local school district, in conjunction with the local library, is involved in a unit studying the Indianapolis story. As part of the unit, the school brought the ?kid,? now a college student to the school. They also brought one of the survivors to speak to the students. Their story is a truly dramatic story, one that shows what a single determined person, even if that person is a ?kid,? can accomplish.
The survivors of the Indianapolis have a website which tells the whole story.
https://www.ussindianapolis.org/
I am aware of this story, as many people might be who have seen the movie "Jaws". I'm a fan of the film, so I recall the script better than most might. The character of Clint, the boat owner who took Roy Schreider and Richard Dreyfus out to catch the shark towards the end of the film, had been on board the Indianapolis and survived. His monologue about what happened was certainly chilling. I'm sure it doesn't even compare to what happened in actuality, but, I'm ashamed to say, that's how I heard about it first.
I didn't know that the captain of that ship had been court-marshalled & I agree, the young student who brought this to President Clinton's attention is to be commended. Kids are just amazing. They haven't been alive long enough to understand cynicism, or stumbling blocks. They just know from within their boundless energy and enthusiasm, what the right thing is to do.
Nov 20, 2005 @ 23:55:47
