USS Indianapolis Survivor Edgar Harrell-- Part 6

Mr. Harrell was just 18 and from Kentucky when he enlisted in the U.S. Marines and had boot camp at San Diego, California.  From there he went to sea school and after graduation from there, went to San Francisco and was assigned to the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis.

He was on it for service at Saipan, Tinian, Pelilu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.  He was part of the ship's Marine Guard.  At Okinawa, the ship was hit by a kamikaze and had to return to San Francisco for repairs.

It was there, on July 16, 1945, when a big crane picked up a big crate and placed it on board.  No one knew what was in that crate.  They received orders to proceed at top speed to Tinian Island with that strange crate.

Then, a heavily guarded canister was placed in Admiral Spruance's vacant quarters.  It also was heavily guarded.  They found out later that the canister contained half of all the uranium the United States had at the time.  The crate contained the components for the Fat Man and Little Boy atomic bombs.

The Indianapolis got underway and crossed under the Golden gate Bridge.  It is 5400 miles from San Francisco to Tinian and the ship covered the distance in just ten days and then they unloaded the strange cargo, still unaware of what it was for.

--GreGen