[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 14817]]

              EXONERATION OF CAPTAIN CHARLES B. McVAY III

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the 
attention of the House of Representatives a decision by the Department 
of the Navy that exonerates the late Charles Butler McVay III, captain 
of the heavy cruiser, the USS Indianapolis who was court-martialed and 
convicted 56 years ago after his ship sank in the closing days of World 
War II.
  The survivors of that tragedy, Mr. Speaker, have relentlessly sought 
to have Captain McVay vindicated; and those who remain are relieved by 
the Navy's long-delayed yet justifiable decision.
  On May 14, 1999, I ushered an 11-year-old student from Florida to 
drop H.J. Res. 48 into the system for consideration by the House. 
Hunter Scott went to a movie in Pensacola, Florida, and saw Jaws, in 
which there was a brief soliloquy about the sinking of the USS 
Indianapolis. Hunter's interest in the ship's disaster was the 
beginning of a school history project, trips to Washington, D.C., media 
attention, and an upcoming movie.
  Language to exonerate Captain McVay was inserted in the Defense 
Authorization Act of 2001. The legislation expresses the sense of 
Congress that Captain McVay should be exonerated because some facts 
important to the case were never considered by the 1945 court-martial 
board. Classified data were not even made available to the board.
  Survivors of the greatest sea disaster in our Navy's history at that 
time sought to have their captain's name cleared for periods that 
spanned several years, oftentimes efforts that drew controversy. The 
magnitude of the crusade was elevated by this young man's trip to the 
movies, his campaign to derive justice for the captain and the crew. 
Indeed, one person can make a difference.
  Captain McVay's record has been modified to reflect his exoneration, 
a profound tribute to the crew, myself and young Hunter Scott 
especially.
  Of the 317 survivors of the USS Indianapolis disaster, only 120 
remain alive today. One of our strongest supporters has been Michael 
Monroney. Mike, the son of the late Senator A.S. Mike Monroney of 
Oklahoma and the retired vice president of TWR, Inc., is no stranger to 
Indiana. Mike served as administrative assistant to former Congressman 
John Brademas of Indiana in his first term.
  Mike has an original poem, Mr. Speaker, which tells the story of the 
sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the fight for the survival of his 
crew, and the steadfast loyalty to their Captain. I submit herewith for 
the Record his poem:

              A Tribute to the Men of the USS Indianapolis

                         (By Michael Monroney)

     A still across the peaceful night
     As the great ship split the sea
     No omen nor warning
     Of the disaster yet to be

     The ship soon steered a straightened course
     When the midnight bells did sound
     Still no omen nor warning
     Of the blast to drive her down

     But then it struck in black of night
     The death that came their way
     With no omen nor warning
     With no time for them to pray

     The ripping crash of metal torn
     The sound of dreadful screams
     Though no omen nor a warning
     It was, for some, the end of dreams

     The torpedo hits had doomed their ship
     She slipped into the deep
     Too many of her youthful crew
     Rode down to eternal sleep

     Spread far across the heaving waves
     In shock and left alone
     The men of the Indianapolis
     Had lost their mighty home

     The dawn was slow in coming
     But, when the sun rose in the sky
     You could hear the sounds of moaning
     From those who were yet to die

     The tropic sea was cold at night
     A merciless sun by day
     Oh, yes, Lord be my shepherd
     For the time had come to pray

     They fought the thirst and hunger
     And the monster from below
     They shared their fears together
     And watched their comrades go

     As dead men slipped beneath the waves
     Those left were heard to say
     Oh, Lord, Please be my shepherd
     Time had surely come to pray

     The days went by, their ranks grew thin
     And hopes began to fade
     Would salvation ever reach them
     As apparitions on them played

     Ashore their ship was never missed
     Their fate was in God's hands
     But upon the empty ocean
     Rose visions of fair lands

     They had no food nor water
     And more their rank grew thin
     Until an angel flew above
     A man named Wilbur Gwinn

     An oil-slicked sea and blackened forms
     Is what the pilot saw
     What ship has sunk? He asked himself
     As he looked down in awe

     He dipped his wings, their spirits soared
     Help must be on the way
     And all their prayers seemed answered
     On that sunny August day

     Soon a second angel came in sight
     His name was Adrian Marks
     He set the plane down on the sea
     To save them from the sharks

     Their prayers were finally answered
     Those living had been saved
     Oh, yes, the Lord's their shepherd
     For their ordeal have been waived

     But no so for their captain
     His anguish lay ahead
     They blamed him for this tragic loss
     Unjust charges to him read

     His youthful crew was mystified
     What could he have done wrong?
     A man of such great honor
     And they stood behind him strong

     The trial took place, the statement heard
     But facts were not exposed
     The jury's verdict had been made
     Yet truth was ne'er disclosed

     The captain's name was ruined
     And, though many questioned why,
     So great the weight upon him
     By his own hand did he die

     Yet he's never been forgotten
     By his crew he's still revered
     And they'll remain united
     Until his name's cleared

     They seek the wrongful verdict
     Struck from their captain's name
     And all left from that fateful night
     Stay angered by his shame

     Their numbers dwindle through the years
     Yet their fervor is still high
     For their captain they'll seek justice
     Until the last of them shall die

     As legend grows around these men
     Their story transcends time
     Such loyalty to their captain
     Should also live in rhyme

     

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