Indianapolis - Naval war heroes are coming to town Thursday for the USS Indianapolis Survivors Reunion.
Last year's survivor reunion was one of the largest. A parade carried about 40 of the naval heroes through downtown and the USS Indianapolis Museum inside the War Memorial celebrated it's grand opening.
Sixty-three years ago, on July 30, 1945, at 12:14 am the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 men on board, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remainder, about 900 men, were left floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats and most with no food or water. The ship was never missed and by the time the survivors were spotted by accident four days later only 316 men were still alive.
Seventy-one of those survivors are still alive, the oldest is 96 years old. Twenty of those men will make their way to Indianapolis for the reunion. Each year, their number decreases. Three survivors passed away in the last month and traveling becomes more difficult for them.
Weekend events
Thursday night, Sheriff Frank Anderson will emcee the welcome reception at the Westin Hotel. On Friday night, a private dinner will be hosted by the American Legion in Carmel.
Saturday, organizers hope the public will line Meridian Street downtown for a short parade at 11:15 am, and then at 5 pm that night, the main banquet will take place in the Westin Hotel.
Sunday is the memorial service at USS Indianapolis Monument along the canal which is also open to the public. It starts at 9 am.
