HR0673 LRB094 14371 HSS 49300 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Throughout most of World War II, the USS
3 Indianapolis served as the Flagship of the Fifth Fleet in the
4 Pacific under the command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S.
5 Navy; during her career in the Pacific, she earned a total of
6 10 Battle Stars; and
 
7     WHEREAS, After safely delivering the world's first
8 operational atom bombs to Tinian Island, she was sent to join
9 the assembling invasion fleet at Leyte Gulf; halfway between
10 Guam and Leyte, at 14 minutes past midnight on July 30, 1945,
11 the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes of a spread of
12 six, fired by the submarine I-58 of the Imperial Japanese Navy;
13 and
 
14     WHEREAS, The Indianapolis was mortally wounded, and
15 everywhere men were killed, seriously burned, and maimed;
16 within 12 minutes, while brave men struggled to hand out life
17 vests, drag wounded shipmates, and scramble topside, the
18 Indianapolis sank quietly beneath the surface of the Pacific;
19 and
 
20     WHEREAS, Of the ship's company of 1,197 men and one
21 passenger, the survivors estimate that about 800 made it into
22 the water and relative safety, where the dangers were just
23 beginning; fuel oil coated the sea and blood from the wounded
24 attracted sharks; lack of water and food caused many to
25 hallucinate, to fight among themselves, and to go mad; for five
26 days, the men struggled until they were finally discovered, and
27 only 318 remained to be rescued; and
 
28     WHEREAS, The sacrifice of the USS Indianapolis has been
29 honored by our nation with a national memorial located in
30 Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated on August 2, 1995; and
 

 

 

HR0673 - 2 - LRB094 14371 HSS 49300 r

1     WHEREAS, Thirty-two citizens of Illinois survived the
2 ordeal, including Maurice Bell, Russell L. Brandt, John K.
3 Bullard, Curtis H. Burton, Norman S. Galbraith, Edgar A.
4 Harrell, Harlan C. Havener, Joseph F. Hubeli, Gust C. Katsikas,
5 Walter Kazmierski (Kay), Oliver W. Kenly, Michael N. Kuryla
6 Jr., Ralph Lane, George E. Laws, Arthur L. Leenerman, Robert A.
7 Lucas, Donald C. McCall, Robert M. McGuiggan, Anthony F. Maday,
8 Chester J. Makaroff, Farrell J. Maxwell, Herbert J. Miner II,
9 Troy A. Nunley, John Olijar, Richard A. Paroubek, Herbert A.
10 Rehner, Earl Riggins, John A. Schmueck, William E. Simpson,
11 Andre Sospizio, Daniel F. Spencer, and Charles M. Turner; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Today, just 14 men from Illinois remain that
13 miraculously survived the sinking of the Indianapolis; ten
14 reside in Illinois and four in other states; they include
15 Maurice Bell (Alabama), Edgar A. Harrell (Tennessee), Troy A.
16 Nunley (Florida), Richard A. Paroubek (Virginia), Gust C.
17 Katsikas, Michael N. Kuryla Jr., George E. Laws, Arthur L.
18 Leenerman, Robert A. Lucas, Donald C. McCall, Robert M.
19 McGuiggan, Herbert J. Miner II, Earl Riggins, and Andre
20 Sospizio; therefore, be it
 
21     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
23 we honor the men that fought for our country during World War
24 II and miraculously survived the sinking of the USS
25 Indianapolis; and be it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
27 presented to each of the remaining survivors as an expression
28 of our esteem.