The Friends of Madison will be hosting a New Hampshire Humanities program, Sinking of the USS Indianapolis, presented by Michael Tougias, on Tuesday, March 18 at 7pm via Zoom. To register for a Zoom link: CLICK HERE.
On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact and close to 900 sailors were cast into the sea, fighting off sharks, hypothermia and hallucinations. When they were finally discovered, after four days and nights, only 317 men were alive. In this presentation, Michael Tougias will answer the questions: Why did the Navy fail to realize the ship was missing? Why was it unescorted in enemy waters? How did the 317 men survive against all odds? Why was the captain court-martialed? Was the captain a scapegoat for the Navy’s own mistakes? This is a riveting story of survival during WWII that also shows the terrible cost of war.
All are welcome.