Just
after midnight on July 30, 1945, only weeks before the end of WW II,
a Japanese submarine launched torpedoes at the USS Indianapolis. Two
found their mark and within fifteen minutes the cruiser went down
without a trace. Some 900 men were in the shark infested waters of
the Philippine Sea. Only 317 remained alive when rescue occurred five
days later. This is the story of one of them.
Harrell
recounts his experience on the USS Indianapolis, the battles,
transporting uranium-235 that would be used in the bombs dropped on
Japan, and the submarine attack. His experience in the ocean is
amazing. He gives all the glory to God saying it was God's unfailing
presence that sustained him. He helps us understand what happens to
the body when in water that long. He tells of the thirst, the shark
attacks, crying out to God, twelve foot swells, rain, the life
jackets getting water logged, and then the miraculous rescue.
There
was a naval cover up of the incident as blame was placed on the
skipper. The truth finally came out fifty years later when documents
were declassified. Several of the men formed a survivors group and
went to battle for the skipper, ultimately seeing his name
exonerated.
This
is a timely account of that war. Memories of WW II are fading and
many of the younger generation know nothing of the heroes of that
era. This is a great book to remind us of what that generation
sacrificed for our freedom.
Edgar
Harrell, USMC (Ret.) owned and operated a distributorship for the
Pella Window Company in Rock Island, Illinois for thirty five years,
served for fifteen years on the board of the Moody Bible Institute,
and has been a lay minister throughout his adult life. He and his
wife live in Clarksville, Tennessee where they enjoy their children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
David
Harrell is the senior pastor-teacher of Calvary Bible Church and
president of the church's media arm, Olive Tree Christian Resources.
Bethany
House Publishers, 192 pages.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from Bethany House for
the purpose of an independent and honest review.
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