House Resolution 114 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 114 BY BARKER , THOMPSON , VONDRAN , MOORE , GOSA , BRADLEY , DETERMANN , RINKER , SITZMANN , GERHOLD , KURTH , HOLT , JENEARY , WILLS , BLOOMINGDALE , BLOM , SMITH , BEHN , SORENSEN , GUSTOFF , HAYES , WILLIAMS , FISHER , WOOD , A. MEYER , WELDON , LATHAM , JONES , INGELS , LARSON , THOMSON , R. JOHNSON , and DUNWELL A Resolution honoring the Iowans who were killed in or 1 survived the attack on the USS Indianapolis on July 2 30, 1945. 3 WHEREAS, on November 15, 1932, the USS Indianapolis 4 was accepted and commissioned in the United States 5 Navy; and 6 WHEREAS, the USS Indianapolis served as the flagship 7 of the Fifth Fleet through much of World War II, under 8 the command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance; and 9 WHEREAS, all who served aboard the USS Indianapolis 10 distinguished themselves and their ship in the Pacific 11 during World War II, with the ship earning a total 12 of 10 battle stars in the Pacific between 1942 and 13 1945; and 14 WHEREAS, the USS Indianapolis was struck by a 15 kamikaze plane in March 1945 at Okinawa, during 16 the Okinawa Gunto Operation, resulting in 38 17 casualties; and 18 WHEREAS, on July 26, 1945, the USS Indianapolis 19 delivered parts for the first operational atomic bomb 20 to the island of Tinian, which less than two weeks 21 later was flown by a B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, and 22 dropped on Hiroshima to bring an early end to the war 23 -1- LSB 5864YH (8) 91 sc/jm 1/ 3

H.R. 114 with Imperial Japan; and 1 WHEREAS, on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis, 2 while transiting unescorted from Guam to the Leyte 3 Gulf, was struck by two torpedoes fired by a Japanese 4 submarine, the first torpedo striking the bow and the 5 second striking near midship on the starboard side; and 6 WHEREAS, the resulting explosion split the ship to 7 the keel and knocked out electrical power, causing the 8 USS Indianapolis to sink rapidly; and 9 WHEREAS, of the 1,195 men aboard, some 900 made 10 it to the water in the 12 minutes before the ship 11 sank; and 12 WHEREAS, few life rafts were released and most 13 survivors wore standard life jackets as shark attacks 14 began at sunrise that day and continued until nearly 15 five days later when 316 survivors were removed from 16 the water, after their accidental discovery during a 17 routine antisubmarine patrol; and 18 WHEREAS, there were 34 Iowans on board the USS 19 Indianapolis in the early morning of July 30, 1945; and 20 WHEREAS, 30 soldiers from Iowa, Seaman Second 21 Class Frederick H. Baker, Seaman First Class Robert E. 22 Batten, Seaman Second Class Raynard R. Boege, Mailman 23 Third Class Harold V. Briley, Water Tender Second Class 24 Harley D. Figgins, Ensign Cecil D. Foell, Machinist’s 25 Mate Third Class Leonard A. Fritz, Fireman Second Class 26 Richard C. Gries, Fireman First Class Donald R. Griggs, 27 Seaman Second Class Lester B. Hodgins, Private First 28 Class Leland R. Hubbard, Seaman First Class Harry H. 29 Huebner, Seaman Second Class Merle B. Hutchison, Seaman 30 -2- LSB 5864YH (8) 91 sc/jm 2/ 3

H.R. 114 Second Class Chris A. Jensen, Seaman First Class Harold 1 B. Johnson, Ensign David A. Jump, Seaman Second Class 2 Robert H. King, Seaman First Class Elbern L. Knott, 3 Seaman Second Class Darwin G. Kruse, Seaman First Class 4 Leo W. Lohr, Seaman Second Class Raymond A. Nutt, 5 Yeoman First Class Theodore G. Ott, Fireman Second 6 Class Welburn M. Pender, Fireman First Class Leroy 7 Reinert, Fireman Second Class Roy E. Rhoten, Radarman 8 Third Class James R. Schlotter, First Lieutenant Edward 9 H. Stauffer, Gunner’s Mate Third Class Charles B. 10 Stickley, Seaman Second Class Joseph M. Strain, and 11 Private First Class Arthur A. Thomsen, perished at 12 sea; and 13 WHEREAS, only four of the Iowans on board that 14 morning, Seaman First Class Charles O. Wells of 15 Camanche, Seaman Second Class Glen Laverne Milbrodt of 16 Akron, Electrician’s Mate Second Class Edward Chris 17 Koch of Denison, and Seaman First Class Robert H. 18 Brundige of Des Moines, survived the attack on the USS 19 Indianapolis; NOW THEREFORE, 20 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 21 That the House of Representatives honors the lives and 22 service of each of the Iowans who were killed in or 23 survived the attack on the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 24 1945. 25 -3- LSB 5864YH (8) 91 sc/jm 3/ 3