JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This week marks 80 years since the attack on the USS Indianapolis, which the Navy says had just finished delivering the parts of the atomic bomb that helped end World War II.
The Navy says 1,195 American sailors were onboard the ship when it was attacked by a Japanese submarine on July 30, 1945. 879 sailors died, 316 survived, and only one of them is still living today.
The USS Indianapolis that sunk in 1945 was the second ship to carry the name. Naval Station Mayport is home to the current iteration of the Indianapolis, the fourth ship to bear the name.
“It passes to us, the crew of our Indianapolis, to keep that legacy alive,” said Commander Matthew Arndt, the commanding officer of the USS Indianapolis, “ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten and working tirelessly to uphold the values and traditions of those brave souls who came before us.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The Navy says more than 300 sailors were killed in the 12 minutes after the Indianapolis was attacked. The survivors of the ship spent the next five days without food and water before being rescued on August 2nd, stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Navy says the sinking of the ship led to the single greatest loss of life in the Navy’s history.
“We are so proud. But at the same time, so humbled that the U.S. Navy would continue to honor not only our state and our capital city, but the men who served,” said Todd Rokita, the attorney general of Indiana who flew to northeast Florida for the ceremony at Mayport.
You can learn more about the history of the USS Indianapolis and the crew onboard the ship when it sank by clicking the link here.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
