When i started my career job in 1987, i noticed that many of my coworkers were ww2 vets. one in particular was a survivor of the Indianapolis. A very kind, humble man and we quickly became friends as we were both avid fly fisherman and started fishing together. After 3 yrs of friendship, he tells me one day while fishing that he has something very nice for me that i would really love. Told him, he didn't ever have to give me anything and that i just appreciated his friendship/company, less than 2 weeks later i found out he passed in his sleep of a heart attack. Here for 2 months he was dying of cancer and never told anyone, not even his wife, 2 weeks after his funeral his wife brought me his gift he mentioned. He left a note to his wife that when he passed she was to give me his (beautiful) custom bamboo fly rods and also a very expensive camera. He was right, i do love them.....i miss my friend.
@@secretagentviper8382 Well "secret agent viper" the REAL reason why you need me to reveal his name is that you DO NOT believe it's a factual statement and that the 33 or so likes must really bother you ! Every man on that ship deserves due respect. Your profile name reveals a great deal to me, if you would've went about your question in a respectable manner. I most likely would've mentioned his name. Best wishes to you and yours.
...Yes, the music is both repugnant and offensive (while shame on the dope who inserted it) while it's nevertheless typical of the need that Americans have to dramatize and sensationalise everything further their outwardly lived 'performance culture'.
yeah. that got me. so much so I had to pause the video to look for your comment since I was sure I couldn't be the only one stopped dead in my tracks by that statement.
My father served on the Indianapolis. He is buried in a military cemetery. His grave marker is engraved "USS Indianapolis". I am a very proud veterans daughter
@@slade666 It's one thing to be grateful, that's totally understandable, but how can you be _proud_ of some stranger's actions? Pride is a self-conscious emotion that occurs when a goal has been attained and one's achievement has been recognized and approved by others. What have you done except acknowledging the achievements of a stranger?
@@slade666 The fool got you flustered? Perhaps you shouldn't be going around calling people fools. Especially when those people know what they are talking about and you don't.
Those young men must have seen as much horror in those 4 days, with the torpedoes and sharks, than anyone who has fought any war anywhere. LOVE FROM ENGLAND.
So I suppose the oil slick was a hallucination too? and the rescue plane....that was all imaginary!! There were no other sailors out there...it was only this 1 sailor. Nurses didn't treat the men for salt water ulcers....dehydration....and there were no shark bites at all!!!!!!!!
Ok....do me a favor. Next time you go swim with sharks in open waters...first simulate an injury that would occur if you were on a warship that got hit by 2 torpedo's...then had to abandon ship. Maybe a few cuts or burns....then, go for your swim and have someone film it!!! I'd be interested to see the friendly nature of a predator as you swim in duress with some blood leaking into the sea!!!
Solo Rider Yeah, the German submarine crew also hallucinated, the rescue ship crew and the pilot as well. No one was hurt, sharks are just little cute teddy bears eating flowers. If you would encounter all the things these men did in the war, you would have shit and pissed yourself, screaming like a baby. Even some of them did. Nobody can't even imagine what they felt. Show some RESPECT!
Solo Rider 1st: there are enough attacks here on youtube. Have fun watching them. 2nd: with the word "idiot" you just unqualified as a respectable person to discuss with. 3rd: there are actually SCIENTISTS out there which swim with them (which I trust more than a weird guy from the internet) and it's common sense that whitetips are just as agressive and probably even more dangerous then bull sharks. People just don't get in their territory so easy, that's why bulls attacks are happening (statistically) more. Last thing, this is not the only ship. Look for the Nova Scotia for example, the rescuers had to be real fast, as they found the survivers surrounded by sharks, still attacking during the rescue. Oh and sorry that these people didn't take their iPhone out and had other problems than making photos. Now grow up and learn to behave like a human being
Is that you billy jack? Hey, im gonna kick you right there on the side of your face. And you know what? Theres not a damn thing your gonna be able to do about it
@@kbanghart we are not the same grade of man as these men were! Average male testosterone levels today (this study was done in 2012) are less than one fourth of the average in 1932
@@shawnhughes4192 interesting, could you send me a link to that study? Also, are testosterone levels connected to a person's bravery or a courage in any way? I know it has to do with aggressiveness.
My son's and I had the privilege to meet this American hero about 10 years ago at a survivors meeting in Indianapolis. He signed his book for my family, what an honor. Greatest Generation no doubt.
@@armybeef68 why?? I'm obviously not just talking about the crew of the Indianapolis or one single Marine, fuknutt. Im talking about entire "generation". Reading comprehension, must not be a single part of any specific set of skills you have. Anyway, I'm talking about all the men & women who joined the military, those people who volunteered for all types of civil duty, I'm talking about all the Rosie's and how everyone had to sacrifice, everyday. Not to mention rationing food & needing to have food coupons to get certain types & amounts of meat, milk & eggs, just to name a few. I'm haven't mentioned all the friends & family they lost or not seeing a family member for years . So yeah, take your bullshit "shark attack" statement & go Brandon yourself. Now you just look stupid. I'm the wrong one, you chose poorly, armyqueef69
"Nobody's an atheist . . ." that means NOTHING! If You are in a fearsome situation, I mean on the sharp edge, You can think that way; but that's not common sense. Those men were so tough that is marvelous and they deserve to be remembered; they have endured a nasty situation that I wouldn't like anybody to experience it.
This guy says he _knows_ God was watching cuz _he_ survived. But he obviously didn't think about the other equally obvious logical inference: all those people died because God was watching. It's the same token, the same logic, but he arbitrarily accepts one and rejects or doesn't consider the other. Doesn't make sense. He just accepted a religious allegory to deal with his trauma. Anyway it's nice he was willing to share his story. But listening to him you can see how religious mythology evolved over time secondary to human trauma.
I feel incredibly fortunate that most of my family was in WW2 including my father. Fortunate in that I heard the stories, fortunate that I experienced them and saw how they were. Fortunate that I learned.
They were selfless, the unfortunate part is most people don't appreciate them while they're alive, also their kids many times didn't understand them because their experiences were so horrendous, they wouldn't talk about them.
Aaron, At least you've got the guts to admit it. I see the metrosexuals coming out of our colleges these days, with there safe spaces and their demand for the overthrow of our country and constitution into socialism and it makes me sick.... It makes me want to grab them by the throat and shake some sense into them.......
@@BuzzLiteworth it doesn't matter, you still was willing to give your life like these men, sometimes it's quick sometimes it's long and excruciating. No matter you still are heroes for signing up, thanks for your service
I’ve listened to Mr. Harrell tell his story several times now, and I love this man. I could listen to him speak for hours. Never met him a day in my life, but have the utmost respect for him and all of our WW2 servicemen. I just discovered that he actually passed away in 2021. I hope he rests in paradise, along with all of our boys that fought and died for our freedom. 🇺🇸
+chairmanmeow1973 They sacrificed their lives so the USA can kill 200.000 civilians to be precise. It was their duty for sure, and they were bullshitted to believe they did it for peace, but let's not forget the whole picture.
the killing of civilians in hiroshima and nagasaki prevented the destruction of the japanese race that would have occurred had we had to invade the home island and they would have died in the millions then...stop buying left wing propaganda
They didn't know what the cargo was, But what they found out later after the bomb was dropped and killed thousands of people That must of blown the survivors away.. Being that the president and military industrial complex KNEW that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked, yet they let it happen, Pretty much like the inside job on 9/11.. and on the Nicolas Cage movie they say, War is a business, business is jobs and money for America. But back then the Govt wasn't so controlling and it wasn't all about greed. and look at what we have today,, Wealthy congress , senate and just an greedy bunch of corrupt people that Americans have to deal with. that includes all the false flags BS chopping up the bill of rights and constitution... feel sorry for this guy here of what he went through for a bunch of beauricratic greedy bastards sitting behind a desk, They should send all the so called people in DC to war. most of them never even been close enough to witness what the men and women went through.. Now they have drones killing thusands from a computer screen... Whens it all going to stop ?
@caesar...Argue with these guys: Thousands more where these come from.. patriotsquestion911.com/ Col. Ronald D. Ray, U.S. Marine Corps (ret) - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration and a highly decorated Vietnam veteran (two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart). Appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve on the American Battle Monuments Commission (1990 - 1994), and on the 1992 Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces. Military Historian and Deputy Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Marine Corps Historical Center, Washington, D.C. 1990 - 1994. Article 7/1/06: "The former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under the Reagan Administration and a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and Colonel has gone on the record to voice his doubts about the official story of 9/11 - calling it ‘the dog that doesn't hunt.’ ‘I'm astounded that the conspiracy theory advanced by the administration could in fact be true and the evidence does not seem to suggest that's accurate,’ he said." Lt. Col. Robert Bowman, PhD, U.S. Air Force (ret) - Director of Advanced Space Programs Development under Presidents Ford and Carter. U.S. Air Force fighter pilot with over 100 combat missions. (PhD in Aeronautics and Nuclear Engineering, Cal Tech). Former Head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering and Assistant Dean at the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. 22-year Air Force career. Also taught Mathematics and English at the University of Southern California, the University of Maryland, and Phillips University. "A lot of these pieces of information, taken together, prove that the official story, the official conspiracy theory of 9/11 is a bunch of hogwash. It’s impossible..." Lt. Col. Guy S. Razer, MS Aeronautical Science, U.S. Air Force (ret) - Retired U.S. Air Force command fighter pilot. Former instructor; U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School and NATO’s Tactical Leadership Program. As an Air Force weapons effects expert was responsible for wartime tasking of most appropriate aircraft/munition for target destruction to include steel and concrete superstructures. Former aeronautical structures flight test engineer with McDonnell Douglas, working on advanced DC-9 autopilot systems and DC-10 flight envelope expansion stress and flutter analysis. Tactical aircraft flown: General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark fighter/bomber, McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet, Boeing B-1 Bomber, MiG-29 (Russian fighter), and Su-22 (Russian fighter/bomber). 3,000+ fighter hours. Combat time over Iraq. 20-year Air Force career. Statement to this website 3/25/07: "After 4+ years of research since retirement in 2002, I am 100% convinced that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were planned, organized, and committed by treasonous perpetrators that have infiltrated the highest levels of our government. It is now time to take our country back.
This wonderful and courageous gentleman passed away May 10, 2021. Imagine living with the memory of this for almost 76 years. What amazing courage he had. There are reportedly just seven USS Indianapolis survivors still living. Harrell was the last Marine survivor of the crew. The Navy really botched this one and caused those men to die by denying the ship an escort. The captain should never have been court martialed but rather some of the higher ups who made that decision. He was exonerated in 2000.
Personal friend with Ed Harrell. Great man & awesome testimony of how God saw him through this terrible ordeal. We owe a great debt of gratitude to this awesome soldiers & the freedom we now have.
@Chic 'N' Stu yeah thats what they say but I reckon there were better solutions anyway. Hypocritical how America doesn't want other countries to have nuclear weapons but then it's fine for them to blow up cities
@@colinjava8447 Give a better solution. I don't think you can, a land invasion would have caused thousands more to die, a naval blockade would have caused mass starvation. And allowing the Soviets to come to try and take Japan would enslaved the country for a long time and would have likely led to millions of deaths in re-education camps and Gulags.
This man's trauma is palbable as you listen to him. The amount of detail he recalls is evidence of his PTSD. What a true hero. Shame on the US for allowing these men to be "lost".
No. No shame. There was a job to be done. My father served on a vessel that had a life of 40 seconds in combat. Replace "Shame" with "Honor". I suspect you've never experienced shame. Try it. It's uncomfortable.
No survivor comes out of something like that undamaged, even if they aren't physically harmed. Considering the loss of life and circumstances, so many of his friends disappearing at the time, it would only be natural for this man and probably all the others to carry huge survivor guilt.
I saw "Jaws" in '77 when I was 9 years old. Quint's Indianapolis lines along with the movie messed me up. It's the reason why I joined the Army and never even talked to the Navy. If my tank had been hit and and disabled I could jump out and run without worrying about being eaten by a shark before hypothermia sets in. You men and women that serve or served in the Navy and Coast Guard have my utmost respect. Cheers from America.
have all the respect in the world for this MAN...i served in the Navy and have served on the USS AMERICA..CVA 66 I've watch the ocean many times you miss the sight of land, for months at a time, but thank my lucky stars that i never had to spend any time in the water waiting to be rescued like this MAN..for days dealing with all that HE had to deal with..i praise each and ever one of those brave MEN no one should ever have to go thru with what those guys went thru...dying is horrible enough but to suffer like that is just unspeakable horror for any human being..i would have been praying from the moment i hit that water!!!
Wow....salute to this man for being able to tell part of his life story and make me visualize the event as he tells it. You can hear the pain in his voice as he recounts those days. I am glad he survived and I am sure he will never get over the loss of the other men. Thank u for posting this video.
So well told. My Uncle Neal Adrian Nabers was among those who went down with the Indianapolis. I was very happy they found the Indy 2 years ago. Thank you Edgar for your story. It was told beautifully. Hero's all of you!!!
@@ababble1245 I never initiated any type of debate. I told you to shut up and keep your sorry ass negative thoughts to yourself. I don't have to be tolerant if you'e gonna go around spreading toxic comments against someone who actually lived through a traumatic experience and personally knows there's a higher power. Take your God-hating somewhere it'll be appreciated. Its not here.
@@ababble1245 You mad at God cuz your life didnt pan out the way you wanted, sonny? I have the freedom to speak myself. Funny how your kind of ppl start playing the victim when someone calls you on your bullshit.
A babble...if you believe there is evil you believe in God as there is no good or evil in a naturalistic world. So you believe in Him but you blame him for evil.
My Dad was a Marine, Embassy guard Peking in the 30s, Purple Heart on Saipan 1944. I put in 4 in the Corps 1974-78 as an 0311, Marine Rifleman. That old man had some good words for the young men of today. I later served in the Navy, 1983-91, volunteered for the Submarine Service and qualified on USS Sargo (SSN 583). The name of the USS Indianapolis has been passed down, according to Naval tradition, the current bearer of the name is a nuclear fast-attack submarine.I spent two weeks at sea aboard USS Indianapolis (SSN 697) as a volunteer on a short notice mission, Xmas 1986. Proud to think of serving on her, remembering her history, and the men who served.
The story itself is incredible! I remember first finding out that this happened when watching the classic scene from the movie Jaws when Quint described having survived the Indianapolis. But what is even MORE incredible is the strength of Edgar Harell...his will to live, his not wanting to give up despite those absolutely horrible things he saw and survived. Simply remarkable!
I remember the first time I saw Jaws and that scene, I remember thinking that it was an incredible story, but this movie is fiction so OK. Some time much later I was shocked to learn it was true. Amazing story of horror and survival.
Today's young people think they have it hard or they deserve more. Well what about these young people who made the sacrifice. God bless each and every one of them. I will always have the DEEPEST RESPECT for Those who gave their lives for America.
I remember watching jaws and hearing,what I thought was the best part of the movie.. Robert Shaw's speech about the USS Indianapolis..sorry if I spelled it wrong,no disrespect ..I feel so bad for those brave young sailors and this brave man who survived..I listened to every word this gentleman said,and can't even imagine how afraid I would be in that situation..Robert Shaw was credited for writing that iconic part of the movie..this gentleman lived it,and told his story beautifully..god bless him,and god bless America!
1 minute into this interview, i knew it was a great interview, and that Jeff Shrader did a fine job of putting it together for presentation. thank you for sharing.
@Jason Strom and the captain committed suicide eventually, right? I think many would have done the same, after losing all those men. How do you sleep at night. And doesn't matter if it wasn't his fault.
@@kbanghart It definitely "matters". That man survived the unthinkable, had to watch his men suffer & die in excruciating ways and what happens? He's court marshaled because the higher ups fd up, they didn't even give the ship an escort and told him to zigzag at his discretion. People always need someone to blame, and they chose to torture the Captain with letters blaming him for the death of hundreds of men that served under him. I'm sure it matters a lot to his family & the other survivors that it wasn't his fault.
Nothing gives me chills more than a combat veteran tell a story of unbelievable human perseverance and survival. These men from ww2 were a different breed of man than there is today.
When it hits the water....the truth comes out. Remember the Joker said people reveal themselves in their last moments. Most atheists are cultural atheists and not intellectual ones...hence why most call out for God when they die. This is from dozens of family members in the military and medical fields who were with them on their final moments.
I want to thank this man for sharing his experience, I'm truly moved by his story. It's not always easy talking about about loss like this without getting overwhelmed. You can hear it in his voice, part of his mind will always be struggling for life and hope in that water. When I was deployed out to sea, I would always take stories like this to heart to better steel myself for survival should an incident occur. "Those that forget the past are doomed to repeat it." In the Navy, we always say, our rules are written in blood. Hopefully some rules and needed changes came out of this tragedy that eventually saved lives.
Lt. Charles McKissick was my great grandfather's brother. I've heard stories about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis but never a 1st hand account. Thank you for sharing the experience and reminding the people of will to survive and faith in the Lord
just imagine hearing ur buddies scream all night long in the dark from shark attacks.. not sure how i would have responded.... yes they do need to make a REAL movie about this.. and not that crap on Netflix or that movie with nicholas cage.. BUT A REAL ONE.. wish george lucas would do it..
That would be great and based on actual events not base on a true story not many people know there is a difference they tend to stretch the truth for movie purposes.
Glad i peeped this.. Served the amphib fleet 91-96..got out, came back in 06 with the Seabees..doubled up Iraq.. This Marine, survived days of horrifying nightmares.. most did not.. I offer my utmost respect.. Thank you, Sir.
Jaws is my favorite movie, and Robert Shaw's telling of the Indianapiolis' sinking one of the most memorable moment in Hollywood history. But what a chilling testimony here by veteran Edgar Harrell. We will NEVER understand what those men endure. God.
I was recommended to come here from someone else on the video of Quint's story from the movie Jaws. To me, that was the scariest part of Jaws. And that was my comment. Well after that recommendation I found this. And to hear his heart and soul in this story makes it all truly real to me now. I knew about the Indianapolis and what happened (not from Jaws btw I was commenting on that particular video), but I never knew true details about what they went through. To hear it from someone who was actually there.... God I pray that we as a species never have to go through such a conflict again... God bless this man and the service he gave. I know he is with you now, please, please bless this man...
I met Ed at a survivors reunion for the USS Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2011. I was there for a veterans summit on educational benefits and they all just happened to be staying at the same hotel. Really nice guy. I bought his book and he signed it for me.
God bless every one aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis, and every military soldier who has served our country. There really are no words to speak, to express our thanks and gratitude.
Dear Sir. I love the fact that you shared your story. I am not necessarily religious nor a Christian but you are absolutely wonderful! As an American I can never expect to repay you for your service other than to promise you that I will be decent toward others. You're family. friends and community must be so proud of you.
I was able to meet Sgt Harrell at the Scouting Fair here in Spokane, WA. He was at the Veterans and Military tables that had displays. Great chance to meet him. Semper Fidelis.
He was courageous to keep fighting off death to be rescued. It's a shame that so few managed to live. All the crap he had to go through. I could never fathom to experience it in my lifetime.
Fucken WOW! Just WOW what a story and story teller. I cried three times with him and just god a touch of his emotions of his horrific ordeal. What a man.
You can tell the emotions are still very present with this hero. I felt the tears and fear as he described what was happening to him and his fellow soldiers. Shame on the Navy for not looking for them sooner!!!
It really wasn't the Navy's fault. Because of the secret nature of the ship's initial mission, delivering the first atomic bombs to their take off site, the ship had maintained radio silence for most of its trip. Also the ship sunk so fast that no distress call was put out. All anyone knew was there was an empty slot for a ship in the Philippines Task Force but they didn't know which ship or where it was. Not only that the captain had taken a different course from the drop off point to the Philippine Islands so even if a search had been made they would have initially been looking in the wrong spot. It was really just a case of monumentally bad luck for the USS Indianapolis and its crew .
The Filipinos fought beside US troops and saved many American lives at risk of their own, when America was beaten back they fought a continual guerilla war against the Japanese until the return. Thanks for your words, and thanks for the deeds of your people. May America and the Philippines always remain friends.
Who in the hell would dislike this video... such disrespect to the old veterans that served this country so that we can be here today. This man has went through a piece of hell on earth
Videos like these should have the most views not some stupid ass Taylor swift music video Christ God bless all the the men who went through that kind of horror in 1945
WWE On Trampoline agreed. Unreal that true remarkable history like this goes mostly unnoticed by people today while idiocy gets millions of views. Unreal
So you hate Taylor Swift, that's fantastic, we really don't care. you could have just made a respectful comment about this man's testimony and that would have been fine.
@CLOUT isn't it so nice of God to let 78 of his group to die so horrifically? Isn't it a grand, that the all-knowing all-powerful God planned this? How many hundreds of men did God kill, and still, the few survivors have the guts to say "God did this for me". And yes, there are atheists in foxholes.
WOW , what an experience sir !!! Yes indeed, God was watching over you. We all sincerely appreciate and thank you for your sacrifices and your service !!!
It is crazy how much we take for granted. These people are so tough and go through so much I would have been so scared I’d be in cardiac arrest. I could not have handled what happened to them. Just waiting and knowing they would be attacked soon is true horror
That's the thing. Those were young boys to and had you asked them beforehand " do you think you could handle this situation?" they would have said the same thing you did. You never know what you can handle until the moment you're faced with it.
God Bless the soldiers and crew of the USS Indianapolis. This story makes your eyes tear up to hear. He couldn't speak of what happened for 2 years after. Imagine the horrors he endured. These ww2 veterans are some of the absolute toughest men ever to live.
GOD Bless you Jeff for bring this to us. Most people whine about having to go to the grocery store and to look at the men who went through such horrifying times and they till stand tall. Oh how soft we have become. GOD Bless our military hero's.
“There are no atheists in foxholes.” I’m so grateful that all hope doesn’t end on this earth. Thank you sir for telling your story and for all that you and your friends gave!
Ed is my Friend. His testimony is incredible. He gives the credit to Almighty God. I never tire of hearing him. Seeing him in person is even better. This country has been blessed by men like him and their service, sacrifice and love of this great country.
A couple of years back I was in a Walmart when I saw a U.S.S. Indianapolis survivor, and man, seeing one of them is ominous, just knowing what that guy went through. You can tell by their eyes whether they're a true survivor or a fake.
@@CousinBowling you go up to someone whose claiming to be a veteran of heavy combat and you ask them if they are legitimate. Dont listen to what they say. Look at their eyes. The real vets, they stop looking at you. But they are looking around focusing and unfocusing. They ain't looking at you. Their looking at memories of things that to them are as vivid and real infront of them as you are. A fake will keep eye contact with you. A veteran will see their memories, and will stop seeing you, not really.
@@CousinBowling it wouldnt apply to a refuel assistant on base. It wouldn't apply to the armourer. But the infantry man on patrol each day? Getting into constant contact? Loosing friends? Without fail the eyes of those people would give it away each and every time.
I used to work in a VA hospital and absolutely loved and cherished the time I got to spend working with and helping to treat WW2 vets-i absolutely was grateful to have them share many of their stories and experiences in WW2. I was always interested especially in the US Navy-after growing up listening to my maternal grandfather’s service in USN in mid-late 1920s aboard the USS Langley (CV-1) and then USS Lexington (CV-2) as an ordinary seaman. I have been reading and studying USN history especially WW2 ever since. In working at the VA I would always ask the vets what branch of service they were in and when and where they served-and in case of Navy, whether they were stationed on land at a base or aboard ship-and if aboard ship-always wanted to know which ship: And if they served on a capitol ship they would often be surprised that I would know the class and even number of their ship (Indy was CA-35, with one sister, the Portland, CA-36). And of course then I would ask their duty/rank, etc--and some of the most interesting stories I heard were from the seamen and non-com officers-and many great and often modest and even mundane stories from men aboard navy transports and support ships. And every man jack among them a humble man-would blush and insist that they were not heroes-most telling you that the real heroes were buried at sea or on distant islands. Once I ran across one of these typically humble honorable WW2 Navy vets and when I asked him his ship-and he said the heavy cruiser Indianapolis-I was speechless-and though not knowing if he served only for a time on her and was transferred elsewhere before her tragic sinking (and yet still probably knew many of those men lost) or was aboard her at time of her demise and endured and survived the horrors those men went thru-I could not ask anything else of him-and simply made direct eye contact and said to him-she was a beautiful ship-probably the best looking of all our cruisers built before the war-and sincerely thanked him for his service and sacrifices he made to keep our country free. I think he realized I knew the history if the Indy-I just couldnt risk touching off a nerve or drawing him into reliving such a horrific experience. I just felt honored to have met such a man as that-for me it would have been like meeting Chester Nimitz or Bull Halsey, nay it was even better. Wars are won not just by the guidance of great leaders, but also more fully by the men toting a rifle or manning a ship, or servicing a plane, or transporting eseential supplies, keeping the radio communications intact, handling damage control, passing the ammo, treating the wounded, etc. Wars cannot be won without such men, no matter how great the Generals or Admirals are.
I met a Survivor on a cruise ship headed to Hawaii a few years ago , he was Michael Kuryla jr. , we talked alot about just how he survived and how it all happened . He was on a 40 mm gun and told of of some attacks they had ! I would meet him in the Casino and always wished he would win big ! Not sure if he did ! Great man he was from Illnois ! I purchased the book 317 survived at Indianapolis in 2002 ,James E. O,Donnell autographed it ! Worst Naval accident in history, amazing they survived !
They are all hero's. One day at McDonalds I saw a man sitting alone with a WWII Vet hat on. I walked up to him and said thank you for your service, then asked if I could buy him an ice cream. He smiled and said yes. I brought it back to his table and handed it to him with both hands and he wrapped his hands around mine and started to cry. He was a medic in the war, and he was crying because all the carnage going on around him and he wasn't permitted to pick up a gun. He couldn't help his friends. I cried a little myself, thanked him again, and said may God bless you and went back to my table. I will never forget that day, they ARE the greatest generation.
When i started my career job in 1987, i noticed that many of my coworkers were ww2 vets. one in particular was a survivor of the Indianapolis. A very kind, humble man and we quickly became friends as we were both avid fly fisherman and started fishing together. After 3 yrs of friendship, he tells me one day while fishing that he has something very nice for me that i would really love. Told him, he didn't ever have to give me anything and that i just appreciated his friendship/company, less than 2 weeks later i found out he passed in his sleep of a heart attack. Here for 2 months he was dying of cancer and never told anyone, not even his wife, 2 weeks after his funeral his wife brought me his gift he mentioned. He left a note to his wife that when he passed she was to give me his (beautiful) custom bamboo fly rods and also a very expensive camera. He was right, i do love them.....i miss my friend.
Omg 😢
You will never see the likes of that man again. Such a great comment 👍
Wow..Rest in Peace Sir 💯
What was his name? Let's show him the respect he deserves
@@secretagentviper8382 Well "secret agent viper" the REAL reason why you need me to reveal his name is that you DO NOT believe it's a factual statement and that the 33 or so likes must really bother you ! Every man on that ship deserves due respect. Your profile name reveals a great deal to me, if you would've went about your question in a respectable manner. I most likely would've mentioned his name. Best wishes to you and yours.
@@shanghunter7697 no not true, I believe you, I understand to keep his name with you, mean no disrespect
Could do without the emotional music. This man's words are all you need.
Yes. Music is quite annoying for such a powerful interview.
You're right Bryan.
agreed but music wasn't really emotional
...Yes, the music is both repugnant and offensive (while shame on the dope who inserted it) while it's nevertheless typical of the need that Americans have to dramatize and sensationalise everything further their outwardly lived 'performance culture'.
Seriously. So distracting.
Surely this story deserved a quiet room.
“It’s easier to die than to live...” profound quote.
If there was a slogan that could sum up all life on this planet, it would be that one
my god
yeah. that got me. so much so I had to pause the video to look for your comment since I was sure I couldn't be the only one stopped dead in my tracks by that statement.
💯
I feel those words are inappropriate because it seems to imply that those that perish were not tough enough.
You can hear and feel the intense emotion in his voice. He’s had to live with the memory of this all his long life. His account brings me to tears!!
My father served on the Indianapolis. He is buried in a military cemetery. His grave marker is engraved "USS Indianapolis". I am a very proud veterans daughter
Why are you proud of achievements someone else made before you were even born?
@sarcastaball that's a dumb question. I'm very proud of my dad. What's it to you? Do you even know the story of the Indianapolis? Look it up.
@@slade666 It's one thing to be grateful, that's totally understandable, but how can you be _proud_ of some stranger's actions?
Pride is a self-conscious emotion that occurs when a goal has been attained and one's achievement has been recognized and approved by others. What have you done except acknowledging the achievements of a stranger?
@@slade666 The fool got you flustered? Perhaps you shouldn't be going around calling people fools. Especially when those people know what they are talking about and you don't.
Those young men must have seen as much horror in those 4 days, with the torpedoes and sharks, than anyone who has fought any war anywhere.
LOVE
FROM ENGLAND.
I'm here because I watched JAWS last night...and heard the speech re USS Indianapolis...I didn't think it was real....My God. My God...
I thought that the Jaws speech was good but then, this.
So I suppose the oil slick was a hallucination too? and the rescue plane....that was all imaginary!! There were no other sailors out there...it was only this 1 sailor. Nurses didn't treat the men for salt water ulcers....dehydration....and there were no shark bites at all!!!!!!!!
Ok....do me a favor. Next time you go swim with sharks in open waters...first simulate an injury that would occur if you were on a warship that got hit by 2 torpedo's...then had to abandon ship. Maybe a few cuts or burns....then, go for your swim and have someone film it!!! I'd be interested to see the friendly nature of a predator as you swim in duress with some blood leaking into the sea!!!
Solo Rider Yeah, the German submarine crew also hallucinated, the rescue ship crew and the pilot as well. No one was hurt, sharks are just little cute teddy bears eating flowers. If you would encounter all the things these men did in the war, you would have shit and pissed yourself, screaming like a baby. Even some of them did. Nobody can't even imagine what they felt. Show some RESPECT!
Solo Rider 1st: there are enough attacks here on youtube. Have fun watching them. 2nd: with the word "idiot" you just unqualified as a respectable person to discuss with. 3rd: there are actually SCIENTISTS out there which swim with them (which I trust more than a weird guy from the internet) and it's common sense that whitetips are just as agressive and probably even more dangerous then bull sharks. People just don't get in their territory so easy, that's why bulls attacks are happening (statistically) more. Last thing, this is not the only ship. Look for the Nova Scotia for example, the rescuers had to be real fast, as they found the survivers surrounded by sharks, still attacking during the rescue. Oh and sorry that these people didn't take their iPhone out and had other problems than making photos. Now grow up and learn to behave like a human being
What a strong video ...RIP Indianapolis men who passed that fateful day
Amen.
I wonder how many would have volunteered for such a trip, knowing the outcome? I wouldn't have.
Is that you billy jack? Hey, im gonna kick you right there on the side of your face. And you know what? Theres not a damn thing your gonna be able to do about it
@@kbanghart we are not the same grade of man as these men were! Average male testosterone levels today (this study was done in 2012) are less than one fourth of the average in 1932
@@shawnhughes4192 interesting, could you send me a link to that study?
Also, are testosterone levels connected to a person's bravery or a courage in any way? I know it has to do with aggressiveness.
My son's and I had the privilege to meet this American hero about 10 years ago at a survivors meeting in Indianapolis. He signed his book for my family, what an honor. Greatest Generation no doubt.
What is the name of his book?
@@antonioacevedo5200 "Out of the Depths: An unforgettable WWII story of survival."
@@drumsport THANKS!!!
Why? Because he didn't get eaten by sharks, how about the ones who did get eaten by sharks? Are they the greatest generation too?
@@armybeef68 why?? I'm obviously not just talking about the crew of the Indianapolis or one single Marine, fuknutt. Im talking about entire "generation". Reading comprehension, must not be a single part of any specific set of skills you have. Anyway, I'm talking about all the men & women who joined the military, those people who volunteered for all types of civil duty, I'm talking about all the Rosie's and how everyone had to sacrifice, everyday. Not to mention rationing food & needing to have food coupons to get certain types & amounts of meat, milk & eggs, just to name a few. I'm haven't mentioned all the friends & family they lost or not seeing a family member for years . So yeah, take your bullshit "shark attack" statement & go Brandon yourself. Now you just look stupid. I'm the wrong one, you chose poorly, armyqueef69
The greatest generation.
Tears in my eyes listening to this hero's story.
He said "Nobody's an atheist in a foxhole or a lifejacket."
"Nobody's an atheist . . ." that means NOTHING! If You are in a fearsome situation, I mean on the sharp edge, You can think that way; but that's not common sense. Those men were so tough that is marvelous and they deserve to be remembered; they have endured a nasty situation that I wouldn't like anybody to experience it.
@@josearqco "nobody's an Atheist" just means hope that's all
People will say things they don't believe in when in life threatening situations
This guy says he _knows_ God was watching cuz _he_ survived. But he obviously didn't think about the other equally obvious logical inference: all those people died because God was watching. It's the same token, the same logic, but he arbitrarily accepts one and rejects or doesn't consider the other. Doesn't make sense. He just accepted a religious allegory to deal with his trauma. Anyway it's nice he was willing to share his story. But listening to him you can see how religious mythology evolved over time secondary to human trauma.
Happened to my dad...Java sea..he said when you hit the water you don't count anymore...he was in the water 36hrs...I have this book also
@@superdog797 reading your comments I can see how weenie-headedness has evolved rapidly. Don’t be a weenie-head.
I am in AWE of the men that fought WWII.....incredible stories......I could listen to them recall their tales all day long.....
like all day and night..
They're almost all gone now. Sad.
I feel incredibly fortunate that most of my family was in WW2 including my father. Fortunate in that I heard the stories, fortunate that I experienced them and saw how they were. Fortunate that I learned.
The stories told by b-17 crews are always incredible too
They were selfless, the unfortunate part is most people don't appreciate them while they're alive, also their kids many times didn't understand them because their experiences were so horrendous, they wouldn't talk about them.
Coming from a Canadian kudos to all that served us in the great wars. That guy has more grit in one finger then I have in my entire body.
Aaron S thank you to the Canadians too!
Aaron,
At least you've got the guts to admit it.
I see the metrosexuals coming out of our colleges these days, with there safe spaces and their demand for the overthrow of our country and constitution into socialism and it makes me sick....
It makes me want to grab them by the throat and shake some sense into them.......
Aaron S. Many Americans don't know the extent of Canadian involvement in WW2, specifically Juno beach on D-Day. Ehhhh yay don't ya know
@@pffear metrosexual? I can tell ur an old fart.
@@seanosborn3272 we do
I’ve been in combat in Iraq, etc. THIS SHIT, scares me. That would be terrifying. These dudes were/are a different type of tough.
Well said and thank you for your service. Semper Fi
its these guys dying off as America loses its toughness and the enemy knows it
My combat in Iraq was nothing in comparison
@@BuzzLiteworth it doesn't matter, you still was willing to give your life like these men, sometimes it's quick sometimes it's long and excruciating. No matter you still are heroes for signing up, thanks for your service
These guys could not escape death. The death was right beneath them lurking at all time.
I’ve listened to Mr. Harrell tell his story several times now, and I love this man. I could listen to him speak for hours. Never met him a day in my life, but have the utmost respect for him and all of our WW2 servicemen. I just discovered that he actually passed away in 2021. I hope he rests in paradise, along with all of our boys that fought and died for our freedom. 🇺🇸
@@politelyvulgarvernacular then don’t travel here, goon
"I'll never put on a life jacket again"
Quints great scene
Loved Robert Shaw.
Spielberg's tribute to the crew of the USS Indianapolis.
Ill never put on a condom again..
"Lifeless eyes,like a dolls eyes"
317 survivors of the USS Indianapolis, the area code for the city of Indianapolis is 317.
I don't think the word "ironic" means what you think it means.
That was done on purpose.
Dey knight Irony and a coincidence are completely different.
@@thaterasound you are right. But you yourself became "that guy" when you commented on his comment. And now im one of those assholes
Whoa thats trippy..Almost like a sign of some kind
Three days. In the water. In the night. With sharks.
Remember that the next time you have a bad day at work. Those men sacrificed their lives for us.
Exactly right
And the government takes away that honor and respect with lies and excuses
+chairmanmeow1973 They sacrificed their lives so the USA can kill 200.000 civilians to be precise. It was their duty for sure, and they were bullshitted to believe they did it for peace, but let's not forget the whole picture.
the killing of civilians in hiroshima and nagasaki prevented the destruction of the japanese race that would have occurred had we had to invade the home island and they would have died in the millions then...stop buying left wing propaganda
Gábor Szűcs you are a complete idiot
My God the nightmares this man must have had the rest of his life.
They didn't know what the cargo was, But what they found out later after the bomb was dropped and killed thousands of people That must of blown the survivors away.. Being that the president and military industrial complex KNEW that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked, yet they let it happen, Pretty much like the inside job on 9/11.. and on the Nicolas Cage movie they say, War is a business, business is jobs and money for America. But back then the Govt wasn't so controlling and it wasn't all about greed. and look at what we have today,, Wealthy congress , senate and just an greedy bunch of corrupt people that Americans have to deal with. that includes all the false flags BS chopping up the bill of rights and constitution... feel sorry for this guy here of what he went through for a bunch of beauricratic greedy bastards sitting behind a desk, They should send all the so called people in DC to war. most of them never even been close enough to witness what the men and women went through.. Now they have drones killing thusands from a computer screen... Whens it all going to stop ?
Amen
torin g 9/11 was not an inside job.
You can tell it's as vivid to him as if it happened yesterday.
@caesar...Argue with these guys: Thousands more where these come from..
patriotsquestion911.com/
Col. Ronald D. Ray, U.S. Marine Corps (ret) - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration and a highly decorated Vietnam veteran (two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart). Appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve on the American Battle Monuments Commission (1990 - 1994), and on the 1992 Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces. Military Historian and Deputy Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Marine Corps Historical Center, Washington, D.C. 1990 - 1994.
Article 7/1/06: "The former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under the Reagan Administration and a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and Colonel has gone on the record to voice his doubts about the official story of 9/11 - calling it ‘the dog that doesn't hunt.’ ‘I'm astounded that the conspiracy theory advanced by the administration could in fact be true and the evidence does not seem to suggest that's accurate,’ he said."
Lt. Col. Robert Bowman, PhD, U.S. Air Force (ret) - Director of Advanced Space Programs Development under Presidents Ford and Carter. U.S. Air Force fighter pilot with over 100 combat missions. (PhD in Aeronautics and Nuclear Engineering, Cal Tech). Former Head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering and Assistant Dean at the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. 22-year Air Force career. Also taught Mathematics and English at the University of Southern California, the University of Maryland, and Phillips University.
"A lot of these pieces of information, taken together, prove that the official story, the official conspiracy theory of 9/11 is a bunch of hogwash. It’s impossible..."
Lt. Col. Guy S. Razer, MS Aeronautical Science, U.S. Air Force (ret) - Retired U.S. Air Force command fighter pilot. Former instructor; U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School and NATO’s Tactical Leadership Program. As an Air Force weapons effects expert was responsible for wartime tasking of most appropriate aircraft/munition for target destruction to include steel and concrete superstructures. Former aeronautical structures flight test engineer with McDonnell Douglas, working on advanced DC-9 autopilot systems and DC-10 flight envelope expansion stress and flutter analysis. Tactical aircraft flown: General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark fighter/bomber, McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet, Boeing B-1 Bomber, MiG-29 (Russian fighter), and Su-22 (Russian fighter/bomber). 3,000+ fighter hours. Combat time over Iraq. 20-year Air Force career.
Statement to this website 3/25/07: "After 4+ years of research since retirement in 2002, I am 100% convinced that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were planned, organized, and committed by treasonous perpetrators that have infiltrated the highest levels of our government. It is now time to take our country back.
Dear God, this man witnessed and experienced unspeakable horror.
I am sure. He's casting a line with God.
This wonderful and courageous gentleman passed away May 10, 2021. Imagine living with the memory of this for almost 76 years. What amazing courage he had. There are reportedly just seven USS Indianapolis survivors still living. Harrell was the last Marine survivor of the crew.
The Navy really botched this one and caused those men to die by denying the ship an escort. The captain should never have been court martialed but rather some of the higher ups who made that decision. He was exonerated in 2000.
Rest In Peace sir
My birthday
Thank you for the update..
How Sad....
Muffs one of the best updates I've seen, thanks
Personal friend with Ed Harrell. Great man & awesome testimony of how God saw him through this terrible ordeal. We owe a great debt of gratitude to this awesome soldiers & the freedom we now have.
He's a Marine brainiac, not a Soldier.
this is a real man. nuff said
Yeah but real men wouldn't wipe out entire cities with bombs killing thousands of innocent people.
Was probably a better solution.
@peter hennig Not on his own you muppet^2, he contributed towards the deaths of thousands of innocent people.
@Chic 'N' Stu yeah thats what they say but I reckon there were better solutions anyway.
Hypocritical how America doesn't want other countries to have nuclear weapons but then it's fine for them to blow up cities
@@colinjava8447 Give a better solution. I don't think you can, a land invasion would have caused thousands more to die, a naval blockade would have caused mass starvation. And allowing the Soviets to come to try and take Japan would enslaved the country for a long time and would have likely led to millions of deaths in re-education camps and Gulags.
Mathias Kloss dont waste your time trying to reason with this ignorant trash
This man's trauma is palbable as you listen to him. The amount of detail he recalls is evidence of his PTSD. What a true hero. Shame on the US for allowing these men to be "lost".
No. No shame. There was a job to be done. My father served on a vessel that had a life of 40 seconds in combat. Replace "Shame" with "Honor". I suspect you've never experienced shame. Try it. It's uncomfortable.
I shouldn't lash out. I apologize. We had death in the family. I wish you well.
No survivor comes out of something like that undamaged, even if they aren't physically harmed. Considering the loss of life and circumstances, so many of his friends disappearing at the time, it would only be natural for this man and probably all the others to carry huge survivor guilt.
I saw "Jaws" in '77 when I was 9 years old. Quint's Indianapolis lines along with the movie messed me up. It's the reason why I joined the Army and never even talked to the Navy. If my tank had been hit and and disabled I could jump out and run without worrying about being eaten by a shark before hypothermia sets in. You men and women that serve or served in the Navy and Coast Guard have my utmost respect. Cheers from America.
My dad was a Normandy Veteran. In these times, what a joy to know what these wonderful men did for us.
This mans been thru hell and back. Respect sir, and thank you so much for your service.
And so many never came back from hell, with the undiagnosed PTSD, alcoholism, family problems, everything.
Plen122 ya the captain ahoy himself because of the public scrutiny and personal demons. Charles Mcvay III
have all the respect in the world for this MAN...i served in the Navy and have served on the USS AMERICA..CVA 66 I've watch the ocean many times you miss the sight of land, for months at a time, but thank my lucky stars that i never had to spend any time in the water waiting to be rescued like this MAN..for days dealing with all that HE had to deal with..i praise each and ever one of those brave MEN no one should ever have to go thru with what those guys went thru...dying is horrible enough but to suffer like that is just unspeakable horror for any human being..i would have been praying from the moment i hit that water!!!
Wow....salute to this man for being able to tell part of his life story and make me visualize the event as he tells it. You can hear the pain in his voice as he recounts those days. I am glad he survived and I am sure he will never get over the loss of the other men. Thank u for posting this video.
Anybody going through such an experience who can still offer such clarity...respect!....hes made of bricks.
This man is a true hero. He said he never gave up, and they all prayed. What a horrible thing to live with. God Bless Him.
Bless him? Like he blessed those who ended up in sharks' stomachs? Nice god you worship.
He is not a hero... he was a pawn... A disposable one at that.
@@c3dmf4s hey even though that might be true it’s not nice.
So well told. My Uncle Neal Adrian Nabers was among those who went down with the Indianapolis. I was very happy they found the Indy 2 years ago. Thank you Edgar for your story. It was told beautifully. Hero's all of you!!!
Did he swim down to it to get a drink of water?
@@armybeef68 😆what a sad human being you are…
God Bless You Marine. Someone give that HERO a hug. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@ababble1245 Shut your mouth you clown.
@@ababble1245 I wont debate with a fool...take your negativity to a Reddit forum.
@@ababble1245 I never initiated any type of debate. I told you to shut up and keep your sorry ass negative thoughts to yourself. I don't have to be tolerant if you'e gonna go around spreading toxic comments against someone who actually lived through a traumatic experience and personally knows there's a higher power. Take your God-hating somewhere it'll be appreciated. Its not here.
@@ababble1245 You mad at God cuz your life didnt pan out the way you wanted, sonny? I have the freedom to speak myself. Funny how your kind of ppl start playing the victim when someone calls you on your bullshit.
A babble...if you believe there is evil you believe in God as there is no good or evil in a naturalistic world. So you believe in Him but you blame him for evil.
GOD BLESS THIS MAN......he paid his dues.This guy doesn't need sound effects,his voice and emotions is all you need.
My Dad was a Marine, Embassy guard Peking in the 30s, Purple Heart on Saipan 1944. I put in 4 in the Corps 1974-78 as an 0311, Marine Rifleman. That old man had some good words for the young men of today. I later served in the Navy, 1983-91, volunteered for the Submarine Service and qualified on USS Sargo (SSN 583). The name of the USS Indianapolis has been passed down, according to Naval tradition, the current bearer of the name is a nuclear fast-attack submarine.I spent two weeks at sea aboard USS Indianapolis (SSN 697) as a volunteer on a short notice mission, Xmas 1986. Proud to think of serving on her, remembering her history, and the men who served.
The story itself is incredible! I remember first finding out that this happened when watching the classic scene from the movie Jaws when Quint described having survived the Indianapolis. But what is even MORE incredible is the strength of Edgar Harell...his will to live, his not wanting to give up despite those absolutely horrible things he saw and survived. Simply remarkable!
I just came from that scene. Wow. Just wow.
I remember the first time I saw Jaws and that scene, I remember thinking that it was an incredible story, but this movie is fiction so OK. Some time much later I was shocked to learn it was true. Amazing story of horror and survival.
At a loss for words. Very powerful indeed.
The United States need more men like this.
Liberals are trying to kill American men like him. White American genocide occurring
JakeH12 you mean less liberals and less Atheists
And less Keapernicks
Aint going to happen with all the leftists running the USA
Today's young people think they have it hard or they deserve more. Well what about these young people who made the sacrifice. God bless each and every one of them. I will always have the DEEPEST RESPECT for Those who gave their lives for America.
I remember watching jaws and hearing,what I thought was the best part of the movie.. Robert Shaw's speech about the USS Indianapolis..sorry if I spelled it wrong,no disrespect ..I feel so bad for those brave young sailors and this brave man who survived..I listened to every word this gentleman said,and can't even imagine how afraid I would be in that situation..Robert Shaw was credited for writing that iconic part of the movie..this gentleman lived it,and told his story beautifully..god bless him,and god bless America!
Thank you sir Semper Fi it is an honor to share the title of United States Marine I am truly grateful…”we delivered the bombs” oorah!
Still the most valuable video on UA-cam. Thank you for your service and for the men you lost. They didn't die in vain. God bless
thank you for you service God bless you
Good story. Could have done without the crazy intense music.
zanzibar78 yea peoplr are fuckin stupid
Yeah
Everyone's a critic (especially me!). Never mind the music that STORY was f**king intense! Having a bad day some day? Just think back to this!
its in the back ground somthing else there dumb ass
zanzibar78 yea...
that was as incredible a story as I've ever seen anyone tell. the music was pretty damn unnecessary though.
I didn't even notice the music.
Nicholas Evans kinda hard to miss.
Chuck Amok agreed, the music distracted his awesome story by adding a very unnecessary/cheesy overtone.
John Williams did it better during Quint's monologue. Point is there is appropriate music and then there is inappropriate music.
I agree
1 minute into this interview, i knew it was a great interview, and that Jeff Shrader did a fine job of putting it together for presentation. thank you for sharing.
I personally couldn’t fathom what he went through. Living a nightmare like that. I’m tearing up just knowing that all he could do was Survive
A Naval disaster that should never be forgotten
@Jason Strom and the captain committed suicide eventually, right? I think many would have done the same, after losing all those men. How do you sleep at night. And doesn't matter if it wasn't his fault.
@@kbanghart It definitely "matters". That man survived the unthinkable, had to watch his men suffer & die in excruciating ways and what happens? He's court marshaled because the higher ups fd up, they didn't even give the ship an escort and told him to zigzag at his discretion. People always need someone to blame, and they chose to torture the Captain with letters blaming him for the death of hundreds of men that served under him. I'm sure it matters a lot to his family & the other survivors that it wasn't his fault.
@Jason Strom not exactly: there was NO system of reporting overdue ships like there was with airplanes. Ludicrous!
Thank you for your service and testimony.
he's nearly 90 years old maybe and he's still felling thrilled... what a nightmare it'd to be!!
Jesus Christ. It's even more heartbreaking than I thought it was going to be.
Nothing gives me chills more than a combat veteran tell a story of unbelievable human perseverance and survival. These men from ww2 were a different breed of man than there is today.
"There was no atheist in that water.." Dude that quote gave me huge chills.
Shut up nerd
@@schwerpunkt7687 shutup spoiled punk.
@@IamNeoGENE derp. Lol triggered snowflake lol
Yup
When it hits the water....the truth comes out. Remember the Joker said people reveal themselves in their last moments. Most atheists are cultural atheists and not intellectual ones...hence why most call out for God when they die. This is from dozens of family members in the military and medical fields who were with them on their final moments.
I want to thank this man for sharing his experience, I'm truly moved by his story. It's not always easy talking about about loss like this without getting overwhelmed. You can hear it in his voice, part of his mind will always be struggling for life and hope in that water. When I was deployed out to sea, I would always take stories like this to heart to better steel myself for survival should an incident occur. "Those that forget the past are doomed to repeat it." In the Navy, we always say, our rules are written in blood. Hopefully some rules and needed changes came out of this tragedy that eventually saved lives.
Thank you for your service, Sir
Why only 76,000 views? This guy is an all time HERO!
Saw the movie with N Cage and it spurned me to look this up...
Unbelievable.
Not many people care about watching World War II interviews and documentaries. Sad, but just the way it is.
Lt. Charles McKissick was my great grandfather's brother. I've heard stories about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis but never a 1st hand account. Thank you for sharing the experience and reminding the people of will to survive and faith in the Lord
WOW! Your story had me in tears.. thank you so very much for sharing! May God bless you and your family.. you sir are a REAL man!!
Amazing testimony by an amazing man.
Thankfully, with a medium such this service, heroic stories like Edgar Harrell's will never be forgotten.
just imagine hearing ur buddies scream all night long in the dark from shark attacks.. not sure how i would have responded.... yes they do need to make a REAL movie about this.. and not that crap on Netflix or that movie with nicholas cage.. BUT A REAL ONE.. wish george lucas would do it..
Mission of the shark with Stacy Keach was made in 91. Its better than the new one. Speilberg was set to make one until this Nick Cage crap came out.
pull up your boot straps and act like you got a set of questions!
Or Steven Spielberg
Agreed 🤝
That would be great and based on actual events not base on a true story not many people know there is a difference they tend to stretch the truth for movie purposes.
Salute! Thank you for your service. The greatest generation.
Thank You for your Service and for your Oral History of a tragic event.
Glad i peeped this..
Served the amphib fleet 91-96..got out, came back in 06 with the Seabees..doubled up Iraq..
This Marine, survived days of horrifying nightmares..
most did not..
I offer my utmost respect..
Thank you, Sir.
Jaws is my favorite movie, and Robert Shaw's telling of the Indianapiolis' sinking one of the most memorable moment in Hollywood history. But what a chilling testimony here by veteran Edgar Harrell. We will NEVER understand what those men endure. God.
The lame dramatic background music is borderline disrespectful
Shut the fuck up. It's fine
srsly stfu, all you fucks do is complain, through yourself into a feeding frenzy, CHRIST!
It is very disrespectful.
Great job complaining about music, instead of saying something respectful about the man. Smh. Just make your own damn video and get over it.
no it is disrespectful
I was recommended to come here from someone else on the video of Quint's story from the movie Jaws. To me, that was the scariest part of Jaws. And that was my comment. Well after that recommendation I found this. And to hear his heart and soul in this story makes it all truly real to me now. I knew about the Indianapolis and what happened (not from Jaws btw I was commenting on that particular video), but I never knew true details about what they went through. To hear it from someone who was actually there.... God I pray that we as a species never have to go through such a conflict again... God bless this man and the service he gave. I know he is with you now, please, please bless this man...
I met Ed at a survivors reunion for the USS Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2011. I was there for a veterans summit on educational benefits and they all just happened to be staying at the same hotel. Really nice guy. I bought his book and he signed it for me.
nothing but respect!
What a true hero Edgar is!! God Bless you and those who never made it!! You are the greatest generation to ever live!!
God bless every one aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis, and every military soldier who has served our country. There really are no words to speak, to express our thanks and gratitude.
Your god has a strange way of blessing sharks food
Too late for God to bless them. They suffered their agonies and they're gone. Maybe sharks were praying for food.
Dear Sir. I love the fact that you shared your story. I am not necessarily religious nor a Christian but you are absolutely wonderful! As an American I can never expect to repay you for your service other than to promise you that I will be decent toward others. You're family. friends and community must be so proud of you.
I was able to meet Sgt Harrell at the Scouting Fair here in Spokane, WA. He was at the Veterans and Military tables that had displays. Great chance to meet him. Semper Fidelis.
He was courageous to keep fighting off death to be rescued. It's a shame that so few managed to live. All the crap he had to go through. I could never fathom to experience it in my lifetime.
The trauma and haunting memories...my god, i can't even ..
Fucken WOW! Just WOW what a story and story teller. I cried three times with him and just god a touch of his emotions of his horrific ordeal. What a man.
What a story...nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for Edgar and those who gave so much for this country.
God Bless and RIP sir.
Some tough boys those were. Pvt. McCoy says he thought he was tough and after 3 or 4 days in the water he realized what tough was!
You can tell the emotions are still very present with this hero. I felt the tears and fear as he described what was happening to him and his fellow soldiers. Shame on the Navy for not looking for them sooner!!!
It really wasn't the Navy's fault. Because of the secret nature of the ship's initial mission, delivering the first atomic bombs to their take off site, the ship had maintained radio silence for most of its trip. Also the ship sunk so fast that no distress call was put out. All anyone knew was there was an empty slot for a ship in the Philippines Task Force but they didn't know which ship or where it was. Not only that the captain had taken a different course from the drop off point to the Philippine Islands so even if a search had been made they would have initially been looking in the wrong spot. It was really just a case of monumentally bad luck for the USS Indianapolis and its crew .
Thank you for your great great service specially to us filipinos that you helped even you don't have to . God Bless You All Veterans.
The Filipinos fought beside US troops and saved many American lives at risk of their own, when America was beaten back they fought a continual guerilla war against the Japanese until the return. Thanks for your words, and thanks for the deeds of your people. May America and the Philippines always remain friends.
Who in the hell would dislike this video... such disrespect to the old veterans that served this country so that we can be here today. This man has went through a piece of hell on earth
A generation almost gone so many great stories & some real sad stories hats off to them all.
Hat's off to you, sir. 🇺🇸
My goodness ...thank you for your service and bravery sir . This is heartbreaking
Videos like these should have the most views not some stupid ass Taylor swift music video Christ God bless all the the men who went through that kind of horror in 1945
WWE On Trampoline agreed. Unreal that true remarkable history like this goes mostly unnoticed by people today while idiocy gets millions of views. Unreal
So you hate Taylor Swift, that's fantastic, we really don't care. you could have just made a respectful comment about this man's testimony and that would have been fine.
@CLOUT Taylor Swift will bow down and speak that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of the Kings when she dies.Amen
@CLOUT isn't it so nice of God to let 78 of his group to die so horrifically?
Isn't it a grand, that the all-knowing all-powerful God planned this?
How many hundreds of men did God kill, and still, the few survivors have the guts to say "God did this for me".
And yes, there are atheists in foxholes.
Agreed
WOW , what an experience sir !!! Yes indeed, God was watching over you. We all sincerely appreciate and thank you for your sacrifices and your service !!!
This wonderful person is a living definition of bravery, G-d bless him & his family. from John in Belfast , N.Ireland.
My God, how he can even talk about the awful things he saw and horrendous suffering...Heroic.
Oh my goodness! We met this wonderful hero in person in Tennessee! Love him! Thank you soooooo much for your service!
This guy is awesome!
Yes! Hi DuBois Family! Love you all!
It is crazy how much we take for granted. These people are so tough and go through so much I would have been so scared I’d be in cardiac arrest. I could not have handled what happened to them. Just waiting and knowing they would be attacked soon is true horror
That's the thing. Those were young boys to and had you asked them beforehand " do you think you could handle this situation?" they would have said the same thing you did. You never know what you can handle until the moment you're faced with it.
Total respect sir thank you for your service. UK
Powerful! Thank You Sir for all you did and your fellow Mates
God almighty this was some story. I'll never forget this.
God Bless the soldiers and crew of the USS Indianapolis. This story makes your eyes tear up to hear. He couldn't speak of what happened for 2 years after. Imagine the horrors he endured. These ww2 veterans are some of the absolute toughest men ever to live.
sailors
GOD Bless you Jeff for bring this to us. Most people whine about having to go to the grocery store and to look at the men who went through such horrifying times and they till stand tall. Oh how soft we have become. GOD Bless our military hero's.
“There are no atheists in foxholes.” I’m so grateful that all hope doesn’t end on this earth. Thank you sir for telling your story and for all that you and your friends gave!
What a wonderful thing to have this interview. God Bless Edgar Harrell and all of our WW2 vets.
Ed is my Friend. His testimony is incredible. He gives the credit to Almighty God. I never tire of hearing him. Seeing him in person is even better. This country has been blessed by men like him and their service, sacrifice and love of this great country.
God bless your friend.
The others are in heaven.
A couple of years back I was in a Walmart when I saw a U.S.S. Indianapolis survivor, and man, seeing one of them is ominous, just knowing what that guy went through. You can tell by their eyes whether they're a true survivor or a fake.
You cant tell by their eyes...
@Michael Ward idk. This guy probably thinks he has patriot-radar and can tell the true ones from the fake
@@CousinBowling you go up to someone whose claiming to be a veteran of heavy combat and you ask them if they are legitimate.
Dont listen to what they say. Look at their eyes. The real vets, they stop looking at you. But they are looking around focusing and unfocusing. They ain't looking at you. Their looking at memories of things that to them are as vivid and real infront of them as you are.
A fake will keep eye contact with you.
A veteran will see their memories, and will stop seeing you, not really.
@@tetchedink7980 i don't believe that applies to all cases. Which is why the eyes comment is so arbitrary.
@@CousinBowling it wouldnt apply to a refuel assistant on base. It wouldn't apply to the armourer. But the infantry man on patrol each day? Getting into constant contact? Loosing friends? Without fail the eyes of those people would give it away each and every time.
Wow-- one of the most incredible stories of WW2--- That man is inspirational-- you can feel the emotion--
I used to work in a VA hospital and absolutely loved and cherished the time I got to spend working with and helping to treat WW2 vets-i absolutely was grateful to have them share many of their stories and experiences in WW2. I was always interested especially in the US Navy-after growing up listening to my maternal grandfather’s service in USN in mid-late 1920s aboard the USS Langley (CV-1) and then USS Lexington (CV-2) as an ordinary seaman. I have been reading and studying USN history especially WW2 ever since. In working at the VA I would always ask the vets what branch of service they were in and when and where they served-and in case of Navy, whether they were stationed on land at a base or aboard ship-and if aboard ship-always wanted to know which ship: And if they served on a capitol ship they would often be surprised that I would know the class and even number of their ship (Indy was CA-35, with one sister, the Portland, CA-36). And of course then I would ask their duty/rank, etc--and some of the most interesting stories I heard were from the seamen and non-com officers-and many great and often modest and even mundane stories from men aboard navy transports and support ships. And every man jack among them a humble man-would blush and insist that they were not heroes-most telling you that the real heroes were buried at sea or on distant islands. Once I ran across one of these typically humble honorable WW2 Navy vets and when I asked him his ship-and he said the heavy cruiser Indianapolis-I was speechless-and though not knowing if he served only for a time on her and was transferred elsewhere before her tragic sinking (and yet still probably knew many of those men lost) or was aboard her at time of her demise and endured and survived the horrors those men went thru-I could not ask anything else of him-and simply made direct eye contact and said to him-she was a beautiful ship-probably the best looking of all our cruisers built before the war-and sincerely thanked him for his service and sacrifices he made to keep our country free. I think he realized I knew the history if the Indy-I just couldnt risk touching off a nerve or drawing him into reliving such a horrific experience. I just felt honored to have met such a man as that-for me it would have been like meeting Chester Nimitz or Bull Halsey, nay it was even better. Wars are won not just by the guidance of great leaders, but also more fully by the men toting a rifle or manning a ship, or servicing a plane, or transporting eseential supplies, keeping the radio communications intact, handling damage control, passing the ammo, treating the wounded, etc. Wars cannot be won without such men, no matter how great the Generals or Admirals are.
I met a Survivor on a cruise ship headed to Hawaii a few years ago , he was Michael Kuryla jr. , we talked alot about just how he survived and how it all happened . He was on a 40 mm gun and told of of some attacks they had ! I would meet him in the Casino and always wished he would win big ! Not sure if he did ! Great man he was from Illnois ! I purchased the book 317 survived at Indianapolis in 2002 ,James E. O,Donnell autographed it ! Worst Naval accident in history, amazing they survived !
They are all hero's. One day at McDonalds I saw a man sitting alone with a WWII Vet hat on. I walked up to him and said thank you for your service, then asked if I could buy him an ice cream. He smiled and said yes. I brought it back to his table and handed it to him with both hands and he wrapped his hands around mine and started to cry. He was a medic in the war, and he was crying because all the carnage going on around him and he wasn't permitted to pick up a gun. He couldn't help his friends. I cried a little myself, thanked him again, and said may God bless you and went back to my table. I will never forget that day, they ARE the greatest generation.
I did the same at Subway's, I saw vet with a WW2 hat, and I paid for his meal, he started crying that a random stranger would do that for him.
Powerful and moving. A remarkable man