In 1945, at the end of World War II, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. For five days the survivors of the sinking floated at sea with nothing but life vests, sharks, and each other. Listen to Jo’s riveting discussion with survivor Edgar Harrell as he describes his account of the sinking and the faith in God that sustained him.
At the age of 18, Ed joined the navy voluntarily to avoid being drafted. He shares that he was taken aback by the size of the ship and was unaware that they were carrying components of the atom bomb on their final voyage.
The night the ship sank, the captain gave the men permission to sleep above deck, since it was very hot below deck. Edgar stretched out on the deck and was just about to fall asleep when he felt a massive explosion. The ship had been rocked by two torpedoes. Within minutes, nine hundred men went into the water as the Indianapolis went down.
Ed describes how he “looked out into the blackness of the night and your mind flashes back home.. my parents, a certain brunette who said she would wait for me… I had something to live for. And I grabbed ahold of that rail and I prayed. There are times when you pray and there are times when you PRAY.” As Ed prayed, the Scripture “I will not leave you or forsake you” came to his mind.
The men encountered arid heat, sharks, and severe pangs of hunger. Through every trial, Ed clung to his faith and knew God would rescue them. After five days, the men were spotted by an aircraft and rescued.
Ed was inspired to share his story to raise awareness about the cost of freedom and the reality of God’s presence in our lives. “There would be no son or daughter, no grand-kids, no great-grand-kids” without God’s providence.
This program has been previously aired.
Highlight – The night of the sinking
The sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Ed talked about the book Out of the Depths with Ted & PK on Faith Radio Mornings
Image: Flickr
