Christal
Cooper
Article 3,427 words w/excerpts
* All excerpts from Out Of Depths have been given copyright permission by Edgar
Harrell and David Harrell.
4
½ Days of Jaws:
Out Of The Depths Through God’s Lens
*Featured: the
sole survivor of the USS Indianapolis
Corporal Edgar Harrell, his son David Harrell,
& Edgar’s Memoir Out Of The Depths.
Film clip from the movie Jaws where Quint
(portrayed by Robert Shaw) gives the USS Indianapolis Speech.
The speech was written by Howard Sackler, John
Milius, and Robert Shaw
“Although I have not seen the movie (Jaws) – I avoid anything that reminds me of the horrors we
experienced – the “survivor (Quint)” vividly described our plight in the shark
infested waters.”
Corporal Edgar A Harrell, USMC
On September 11, 2001 Pastor
David Harrell was at his home in Joelton, Tennessee watching Fox news when he
like many millions of people around the world watched the 9/11 attacks take
place – the second plane, the United Airlines 175, crashed into World Trade
Center’s south tower.
He
immediately called his father, World War Two veteran and now sole survivor of
the USS Indianapolis Edgar Harrell.
David: “I
called him to turn on the TV and we watched it together while on the
phone. During those moments, I remember
him saying, “Here we go again” referring to the U.S. Being attacked by another
fanatic group which would launch us into war again.”
“Here we
go again” happened the first time in Edgar Harrell’s life at 12:14 am on July 30,
1945 aboard the USS Indianapolis that he had worked on since March of
1944. Edgar was part of the U.S. Marine
detachment whose main job was to manage the ship’s brig (guardhouse), operate
various weapon systems, and lead any potential landing operations that might be
required.
That
night, about the only thing the 20-year-old could think about was the heat – it
was hellish hot at 110 degrees outside the ship; and inside the engine chambers
of the USS Indianapolis was a fiery furnace at 120 degrees. Because of the dangerous temperatures the men
were given permission to sleep outside on the deck. And that is where Edgar lay, wrapped in a
thin blanket, looking out to the sea and to the starry sky.
The last thing he thought was that he would be under
attack – the USS Indianapolis was 610 feet and 3 inches long, 66 feet and 1 inch
at her widest point. Her keel lay 24
feet below the surface, with a maximum of 107,000 horsepower, and maximum speed
capability of 36 miles per hour. She was
also armed with three turrets, each containing three 8-inch guns. She also had four 5-inch guns and twenty-four
intermediate-range 40 mmm guns.
Harrell was not the least bit afraid of the enemy
and considered the USS Indianapolis a monster able to defeat the enemy, but he
was wrong.
I was stunned and confused. No one was firing at us, and we were not
firing at anyone. I couldn’t understand
what was going on. I looked toward the
front of the ship and to my astonishment, it was gone! Approximately thirty-five feet of the bow had
disappeared. It had been completely cut
off. I then realized what had
happened. We had been torpedoed.
Beneath me, below deck, I could hear and feel the
bulkheads breaking under the pressure of the water as the Indy’s gigantic screw
propellers continued to push her forward.
Massive fires from the explosions lit up the night sky, exposing the
doomed Indianapolis to any enemy that might still be lurking nearby. All electrical power had been cut off. All communications had been rendered
inoperative. As a result, no word was
sent to the engine room to stop the engines.
Within a minute of the initial blast, I had come to my senses and knew
the ship was going to sink. The open bow
was already going underwater.
I made my way to the emergency station, which was
mid-ship on the quarterdeck. As I did,
men were coming up from below deck, screaming cries of excruciating pain. Most were in their night skivvies and had
been blown out of their bunks.
Hysterically they cried for help.
Many had scorched flesh hanging from their faces and arms. The smell of burning flesh and hair was
nauseating. Compound fractures revealed
protruding bones from the bodies of those who had been thrown up against the
bulkhead walls. It was a living
hell. I’ll never forget the fires, the
horrified faces, and the cacophony of screams. I can still hear the explosions
and the screeching of metal being twisted and torn by the tones of water the
ship was taking on.
Excerpt from Out
Of The Depths
Pages 64-65
Soon
Edgar witnessed the pitch-black oil leaking from the Indy to float on the water
below, the same water he dived into and swam fifty yards to join a group of
about eighty others, one of the numerous groups that were scattered across the
oil soaked sea.
Twelve
minutes after the first torpedo, the entire USS Indianapolis was underwater,
300 men went down with the ship, and the remaining 900+ men were in the
seven-mile depths of the Marianna Trench, the deepest region of the Pacific Ocean,
its waters totally poisoned with saltwater and oil, their only safety net the
kapok life vests each man was wearing.
For the
next four and half days, Edgar Harrell would endure hope amidst despair,
hypothermia, salt water poisoning, oil poisoning; dehydration; sunstroke; and
the presence of lethal sharks.
He witnessed his fellow comrades experience the same
traumas in addition to watching some of his comrades tormented with hallucinations
and being eaten alive by sharks.
Later on
that first day, around dusk, we had company.
To our horror, we saw several large black dorsal fins cutting through
the water and circling our group. I
cannot describe the fear of the anticipation of the unknown. But for some reason the sharks seemed
unwilling to launch a full attack on our little cluster. They just circled around and around with what
seemed to be a predetermination.
Sadly,
some of the hallucination boys insisted on swimming away from the group to an
island or ship they were sure they saw.
As they swam, their thrashing often attacked the sharks and we’d hear a
bloodcurdling scream. Like a fishing
bobber taken under the water, the helpless sailor quickly disappeared. Then his mangled body would resurface moments
later with only a portion of his torso remaining.
Excerpt from Out
of the Depths
Page 74
By noon
on the second day Edgar’s group of eighty men now consisted of only 40
survivors, human remains and corpses floating around, with the sharks never too
far away.
On
numerous occasions I recall seeing a large fin coming straight at me. In horror, I would take what I thought would
be my last breath, bend my knees up to my chest, and cry out, “Oh God,
help!” Sometimes I could feel a fin
brush my body. Other times I would
merely feel the wake of the massive beast streaking through the water just
underneath me.
Excerpt from Out
of the Depths
Page 91
By the
end of the second day, the group had now dwindled to only thirty men, all who
developed ulcers due to the saltwater and the oil.
By the end of the third day the original group of 80
men had now dwindled to only seventeen, and Edgar was striving to stay sane,
which meant being able to tell time, which he was able to by the watch he wore,
the same watch that still tells time to this day and is on display at the
Indiana War Memorial Museum in Indianapolis.
The most important thing he did, more than telling
time, was to constantly pray. The
results of these prayers were much needed rain, a makeshift raft that floated
their way, and a crate full of partially rotten potatoes; but more importantly,
for Edgar, the result of his prayers to his God was the peace that passes all
understanding.
I was
there alone – or so it seemed. But as I
reached out in desperation to the Savior of my soul, He suddenly made it clear
to me that He was going to be the Savior of my life. There was no audible voice. Something far more comforting was suddenly
given to me. An unexplainable and
ineffable peace enveloped me like a blanket on a frosty night. With the undeniable marks of the
supernatural, the chill of terror was replaced with the glowing warmth of
divine assurance. I know within my heart
that God was answering my prayers and going to see me through.
Excerpt from Out Of The Depths
Page 67
Out of the 900+ men at sea, Edgar was only one
of 317 men rescued on Friday, August 3, 1945.
He was shocked to later learn that only nine of
his 39 Marine companions had survived.
The nine men would later have a reunion and try
to determine if any of the 30 men were in one of the groups at sea.
In later years all of the remaining 317 men and
their families would question why it took so long to be rescued.
Edgar: “The
Navy ignored our SOS as well as Lt Com Hashimoto’s cable to Japan saying he had
sunk a ship, possibly the USS Idaho. We had broken the Japanese code and picked
this up, but the Navy failed to search for the ship Hashimoto said he sunk.
Eventually a lone Ventura PV-1 aircraft flying a search and destroy mission
spotted an oil slick on the ocean below. Thinking it might be a damaged
Japanese sub, they dove down on a bombing run. Instead of finding a sub, they
discovered many survivors covered in oil spread over a 75-mile area, some being
attacked by sharks.”
For the next seven days after the 9/11 attacks Edgar
and David felt heavy in heart and spirit about both events, how both were
somehow connected, and that something had to be done. It also opened up old wounds.
Edgar: “9/11 was a vivid reminder of how evil is
always lurking in the shadows, especially among religious fanatics like the
Islamic extremists who seek to dominate others. When I saw how intent they were
on killing us to advance their religious and political ideologies, it reminded
me of the Nazis and the Japanese. I quickly realized that we must once again go
to war to survive.”
David approached his father about the idea of
writing a book about his experiences.
David: “We
discussed the staggering ignorance about WWII history that Dad encountered when
he spoke to high school and college students, even many adults. We shared a mutual frustration over the
cavalier attitude many have regarding the high cost of freedom and the
existence of evil in our world.
Because of this,
combined with the frequent requests people would make for Dad’s story to be put
into writing, I told Dad I would carve out some time in the evenings and “write
your story.” He was glad for me to do so for all the reasons I just mentioned,
but he also agreed with me that it would be an important family document and a
tribute to his shipmates.”
Also included in Out Of The Depths is Edgar’s strong
defense of Captain Charles Butler McVay III, how had been deemed the scapegoat
for having the USS Indianapolis sink. To
this day, the treatment of Captain McVay still upsets Edgar Harrell.
Edgar: “The
Navy needed a scapegoat and Fleet Admiral Ernest King was desperate to find one
to cover the culpability of his subordinates at CINCAP in Guam and those in
command in the Philippine Frontier who were also negligent. Moreover, Thomas
Brophy, a man with great political clout who lost his son in the tragedy, set
out on a personal crusade to seek revenge upon the man whom he believed was
responsible for his son’s death—Captain McVay. Testimonies later proved that he
used his influence to pressure Secretary Forrestal, and even his friend
President Truman, to do all they could to destroy McVay.”
The
blockbuster film Jaws spearheaded enough action to finally clear Captain McVay
by the way of a 13-year-old boy named Hunter Scott who was so impressed with
the Jaws
scene (Quint giving the USS Indianapolis speech) that he decided to
research the incident as a history project.
Edgar: “By
this time the Naval archives were opened revealing many facts that were not
considered in McVay’s trial. With his help, along with a couple of U.S.
Senators, we got a hearing before the Armed Service Committee that resulted in
the exoneration of our Captain. We survivors would not give up until our
Captain was cleared.”
David,
the oldest son of two children by Edgar and his wife Ola, always knew about his
dad’s experiences. His dad talked about
it to his son so many times that he never remembers a time not knowing of what
happened.
David: “So
it was easy for me to outline the book according to the days he was in the
water and begin to construct the story line. As I would write, I would call him
on the phone or talk with him in person about certain things that happened. I
spent a lot of time asking for little details pertaining to his senses: “what
do you see, hear, feel, smell,” etc. I would also ask him about his spiritual
(and) emotional reactions, his innermost thoughts and fears, asking him to
relive it with me so I could put some meat on the skeleton and make the story
come alive.”
The
most emotional Edgar became with his son was when he was discussing his
spiritual experiences with the Trinity God while in the Pacific shark infested
waters.
David: “He
especially got emotional when he described the unique ways the Spirit of God
ministered to His soul when he prayed and stepped into the water, when He sent
the rain, then the rotten potatoes, the dried out spare life jackets on the
raft, and especially the euphoria of watching the plane signal to them that
they had been spotted.”
David had a new understanding of his
father’s experiences: his father’s
gruesome sufferings while in the shark invested and salt-poisoned waters; but
more importantly the presence of the Holy Spirit Edgar experienced during those
4 ½ days.
David: “As
I began to write the story, I had a renewed awareness that what had happened to
my father was truly remarkable on many fronts, but especially with respect to
the sanctifying purposes in the providence of God that used that horrible trial
to shape him more into the likeness of Christ and in so doing use his story and
his life to bring glory Himself.”
Soon
David, a minister himself, felt the same Holy Spirit that comforted his father
during those almost 4 ½ days.
David: “The
indwelling Holy Spirit would mysteriously and inexplicably move upon my heart
and mind to cause me to weave a biblical spiritual perspective through the
fabric of the story in an effort to accurately portray a true Christian
testimony without coming across as “preachy.”
To be sure, the Spirit’s
great work in believers is to exalt Christ in and through them. For most, the
theological commentary in the book has been extremely well received; for some,
it is pure foolishness (1 Cor 2:14). As a seasoned Bible expositor and
theologian, my heart is saturated with the Word of God, so it was very natural
for me to apply certain texts for specific contexts—especially as they related
to my father’s story and character.”
David
wrote about a chapter per night and asked his father questions to flesh out the
story more. After numerous rewrites and
countless conversations with his father the book was completed by November of
2001.
David
had the story self-published and gave it to his father as a gift to possibly
sell at his speaking venues. The book
ended up selling 20,000 copies and David felt it was time to get a literary
agent.
David: “The
literary agent agreed to shop it around to see if he could find the book a
home. In the end, five major publishers got in a bidding war over it and we
finally settled with Bethany House.”
There
were minor changes to the book but those changes made the book even more
powerful in its biblical fabric and, in addition, Lt. Col. Oliver North agreed
to write the forward.
David: “We
had a friend who knew him and put us in touch with him. He was very gracious
and willing to help (especially being a fellow marine and Christian). He
remains a treasured friend that we continue to have contact with from time to
time.”
Edgar considers the survivors, those who
lost their lives on the USS Indianapolis and in the sea, and their family
members to be among his closest friends.
The
survivors and family members had their first reunion on July 30 and 31 in 1960
and they invited Captain McVay to attend, which he did.
When the long-anticipated day finally
arrived, most of the 220 men and their wives gathered together at the airport
to greet our dear captain.
Approximately, five hundred people formed a line in his honor. In shock, he and his wife, Louise, exited the
plane and tearfully made their way past the sailors and Marines who stood at
full attention, saluting him with tears streaming down their cheeks. It was a grand and glorious sight. He later acknowledged that he was somewhat
concerned about how he would be received, given the disgraceful reprimand at
the general court martial. Certainly,
with the relentless barrage of hate mail he received from devastated families,
he was predisposed to thinking the worst.
But to his great joy, he was received with utmost respect and military
dignity. After all, we knew he was
innocent.
Excerpt
from Out
of The Depths
Page
159-161
The
survivors and their families continue to have their reunion every two years on
July 29th and July 30th in Indianapolis, Indiana.
There is now an organization called Second
Watch founded by the families, friends, and supporters of the men of the USS Indianapolis
whose main goal is to assist the USS Indianapolis Survivors Organization and to
promote citizenship and patriotism, which includes reconciliation with the
enemies within (the U.S. Navy) and the enemies without (the Japanese,
particularly Command Hashimoto and his crew for sinking the USS Indianapolis.)
Since then, I have had the privilege to get to know Commander Hashimoto’s granddaughter, Atsuko. She and her family are faithful attendees of every USS Indianapolis survivors’ reunion. This is an incredible act of courage on their part. But it’s important to remember that the atrocities of WWII greatly affected both sides. Hashimoto’s family experienced profound loss in that horrific war. The unthinkable happened. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima instantly incinerated all of the commander’s family (his granddaughter is the progeny of a second marriage after the war).
At the 2013 reunion, Atsuko and I hugged,
and she thanked me for opening my arms and receiving her embrace. She told me she wasn’t sure how I would
respond. And I told her how much it
meant to me that she and her family would come to the reunions to honor us and
our families. We agreed to build upon
this friendship, and we promised to stay in touch.
Excerpt
from Out
of the Depths
Page
177-178
Out of The Depths isn’t just about
the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the bravery of Edgar Harrell, and about
Edgar Harrell’s own spiritual testimony of the events that took place. It is also about a love story between the
Trinity God and all humanity, Japanese and American, and the reaffirmation of
God’s sovereignty.
Edgar’s excerpt from Out Of The Depths on page
170 perfectly outlines his thoughts on his unshakeable faith:
Every life story either bears witness to
His sovereign grace or denies it. But no
life has ever been lived apart from the purposes of God. He alone orchestrates the affairs of His
creation. Like all the marvelous and
mysterious doctrines of God, the coexistence of divine sovereignty and human
responsibility remain an incomprehensible paradox to the human mind – certainly
one that offends man’s rabid commitment to self-determination. But as I look back over my life through the
lens of Scripture, I have no doubt that indeed God is in control, and, without
coercion, He uses human means to accomplish His purposes – even the sinking of
the USS Indianapolis.
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Edgar
Harrell
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David
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Jaws movie poster, released
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Film
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The
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Edgar
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Edgar
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Edgar
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1944
image of the USS Indianapolis in dazzle camouflage pattern
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USS
Indianapolis off Marie Island on July 10, 1945
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USS Indianapolis dripping oil as it sinks into the sea
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USS Indianapolis dripping oil as it sinks into the sea
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Diagram/
map of the Marianna Trench
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Painting
depicting the USS Indianapolis men suriviving in the sea.
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The USS Indianpolis linking oil as it sinks in the sea.
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The USS Indianpolis linking oil as it sinks in the sea.
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The USS Indianapolis memorial at the Indiana War Memorial Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana
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The USS Indianapolis memorial at the Indiana War Memorial Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana
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The Praying Hands
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Painting
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The
39 Marine Guard on the USS Indianapolis.
Edgar Harrell is in the middle row, directly under the middle barrel
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The
nine men from the Marine Guard that survived.
Edgar Harrell is far right, in the first row, kneeling.
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One
of the 317 men being rescued from the oil-soaked and shark infested sea.
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Lt.
Com Hashimoto
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Painting
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The flight plans of the four planes that hit on September 11, 2001.
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The flight plans of the four planes that hit on September 11, 2001.
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"Good friends in three countries." Japanese propaganda poster from 1938 promoting the cooperation between the three countries: Germany, Japan, and Italy.
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"Good friends in three countries." Japanese propaganda poster from 1938 promoting the cooperation between the three countries: Germany, Japan, and Italy.
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Edgar
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Harrell
Family photograph on David Harrell’s son’s wedding. David is third from the left, sitting down
holding his grandson. Edgar is in the
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Captain
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Fleet
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Thomas
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Jaws
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Quint
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Image
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Newt
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Edgar
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Scene
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Two
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The Pentecost painting
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Jesus
Christ’s Ascension painting
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David
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Edgar
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Lt.
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The
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Edgar
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The
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July
29 and 30 of 2010
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Commander
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Edgar
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Edgar
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