Rolla man recounts USS Indianapolis sinking during WWII

ROLLA, Mo. -- Gerald Poor, 80, has piles of thank-you letters, some from people he does not even know. The letters are from people thanking him for his service with the Navy in World War II while he was aboard the USS Indianapolis.

Poor had brothers in the service, and he convinced the superintendent at Vienna High School to give him a diploma, so he could go into the Navy.

"I was scared to death the war would be over before I could get in there," Poor said.

Poor was 17 years old and just out of boot camp when he and seven others from his training camp were called onto USS Indianapolis for an important mission.

The crew and officers onboard did not know they were carrying the major components for the two atomic bombs, later used to destroy Hiroshima. Those onboard were only told the mission was of the greatest importance, and they should proceed full speed.

USS Indianapolis arrived at the island of Tinian in record-breaking time and successfully delivered its cargo. However, the return trip was not successful, and the completed mission of USS Indianapolis was its last.

On its way back to the Philippines, the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-58 on the morning of July 30, 1945.

"I was on watch that morning," Poor said. "Everything went dead, and I didn't know what happened.

"The commander came by and told us to hold our positions, that was the last we ever saw of him," Poor said.

Poor said the ship began to slowly turn over onto its side as he climbed the railing at his post. When the ship capsized, he jumped off and swam as hard as he could from the sinking ship.

"When it finally turned over, I knew it was doomed," Poor said.

The last view Poor had of the ship was people jumping from the fan tail before the ship slowly sunk into the ocean.

"The whole ship sunk in 12 minutes," Poor said.

Damages were so severe the life boats were unable to be launched and electrical power interruption prevented sending a distress. Poor is the last surviving Missouri veteran of the USS Indianapolis and now lives in Rolla.

Poor said those still alive were able to eventually find life jackets and formed a net from rope to keep them from drifting off.

The first day out, sharks started to gather near the group of men, Poor said.

"There were hundreds of them," Poor said. "It scared us."

Poor said there were sand sharks, which were not harmful, and smaller gray sharks, but the threat was from killer sharks circling the group floating in the water.

"They would not come into our area, they only circled us," Poor said. "If someone swam off, the sharks would get them."

"Some of those boys would lose their senses, swim off, and we would only hear one loud yell and that was it," he said.

Poor said he had two good friends with him who did not survive the time spent in the water,.

While in the water, the men held several funerals before burying anyone who died in the sea by taking their life jackets off and letting them sink, Poor said.

"There were around 125 guys buried, so we had lots of funerals," he said. "I was only a 17-year-old boy just out of high school. I wasn't ready for that."

After being in the water for four or five days, the men were finally spotted. Of the 1,196 men onboard, it was estimated by survivors about 800 men safely evacuated the ship. After they were rescued, 315 survived.

"I wasn't hungry when I was rescued, only thirsty," Poor said. "I have never drank so much in my life."

In August 1995, a National Memorial was dedicated in Indianapolis as a permanent remembrance of the USS Indianapolis and its final crew.