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80th Anniversary of the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis in World War II
Eighty years ago, in the final days of World War II, the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) completed one of the most critical missions of the war—delivering components of the atomic bomb to Tinian Island—only to meet a tragic fate days later in the Philippine Sea.
On July 31, 2025, exactly 80 years to the day after the sinking, the Veterans Breakfast Club will host a special 90-minute livestream conversation with renowned WWII historian and author Colin D. Heaton to reflect on the legacy of the Indianapolis and the harrowing story of its crew.
The USS Indianapolis was struck by Japanese torpedoes shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship sank in just 12 minutes, taking hundreds with her. Of the 1,195 sailors and Marines aboard, roughly 900 made it into the water—only 316 would survive. For days, they endured dehydration, exposure, and relentless shark attacks before a chance air patrol spotted them.
Our guest, Colin D. Heaton, brings decades of scholarship and firsthand military experience to the story. A former U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps servicemember, Heaton has authored numerous acclaimed books of military history, including German Anti-Partisan Warfare in Europe 1939–1945 and Night Fighters: The Luftwaffe and RAF Air Combat over Europe, co-written with Anne-Marie Lewis. He has also appeared as a guest historian on the History Channel’s Dogfights and taught military history at American Military University.
During this live program, Heaton will explore the Indianapolis’s role in WWII, the circumstances of its sinking, the Navy’s delayed response, and the long-overdue exoneration of the ship’s captain, Charles B. McVay III. He’ll also reflect on the broader implications of the tragedy and how it’s remembered today.
This is more than a history lesson—it’s a memorial and a reckoning, told with insight and reverence by one of the most respected voices in military history.
#USSIndianapolis #WWIIHistory #ColinHeaton #NavalHistory #VeteransBreakfastClub #Indianapolis80 #VBCOnline #MilitaryHistory #WWIINavy #July31Anniversary
We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!
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By Veterans Breakfast ClubEighty years ago, in the final days of World War II, the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) completed one of the most critical missions of the war—delivering components of the atomic bomb to Tinian Island—only to meet a tragic fate days later in the Philippine Sea.
On July 31, 2025, exactly 80 years to the day after the sinking, the Veterans Breakfast Club will host a special 90-minute livestream conversation with renowned WWII historian and author Colin D. Heaton to reflect on the legacy of the Indianapolis and the harrowing story of its crew.
The USS Indianapolis was struck by Japanese torpedoes shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The ship sank in just 12 minutes, taking hundreds with her. Of the 1,195 sailors and Marines aboard, roughly 900 made it into the water—only 316 would survive. For days, they endured dehydration, exposure, and relentless shark attacks before a chance air patrol spotted them.
Our guest, Colin D. Heaton, brings decades of scholarship and firsthand military experience to the story. A former U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps servicemember, Heaton has authored numerous acclaimed books of military history, including German Anti-Partisan Warfare in Europe 1939–1945 and Night Fighters: The Luftwaffe and RAF Air Combat over Europe, co-written with Anne-Marie Lewis. He has also appeared as a guest historian on the History Channel’s Dogfights and taught military history at American Military University.
During this live program, Heaton will explore the Indianapolis’s role in WWII, the circumstances of its sinking, the Navy’s delayed response, and the long-overdue exoneration of the ship’s captain, Charles B. McVay III. He’ll also reflect on the broader implications of the tragedy and how it’s remembered today.
This is more than a history lesson—it’s a memorial and a reckoning, told with insight and reverence by one of the most respected voices in military history.
#USSIndianapolis #WWIIHistory #ColinHeaton #NavalHistory #VeteransBreakfastClub #Indianapolis80 #VBCOnline #MilitaryHistory #WWIINavy #July31Anniversary
We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!