Charles Butler McVay, 3rd, USN
| Born | 30 Jul 1898 | Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA | |
| Died | 6 Nov 1968 | (70) | Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA |
 | Ranks
Retired: 1949 Decorations |
Warship Commands listed for Charles Butler McVay, USN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| USS Kaweah (AO 15) | Cdr. | Oiler | 15 Dec 1940 | early 1942 |
| USS Indianapolis (CA 35) | T/Capt. | Heavy cruiser | 18 Nov 1944 | 30 Jul 1945 |
Career information
Charles Butler McVay, 3rd was one of 316 survivors of the loss off the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis on 30 July 1945. The Navy failed to even register that the ship and its 1196 man crew were missing, let alone mount a proper search until 5 days after the sinking.
He was the only US navy commander to be court-martialed for loosing his ship in the war.
Charles Butler McVay, 3rd took his own life with his service revolver on 6 Nov 1968 after being hounded by relatives of men lost from sinking of his cruiser USS Indianapolis over 20 years earlier. He was officially exonerated in the year 2000 through efforts from survivors of the USS Indianapolis.
Events related to this officer
Heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35)
31 Mar 1945
Seriously Damaged by Japanese Kamikaze off Okinawa.9 of her crew were killed and 26 were wounded.
30 Jul 1945
She was hit by two torpedoes at 12:05 am, one blowing off most of her bow, where the officers slept. About 900 of the 1,196 on board survived the sinking, which lasted 12 minutes. 316 would later survive the dehydration, the sharks, and the heat. The ships commanding officer, Capt. McVay survived, only to commit suicide in 1968 by reasons of receiving hate mail. The survivors attend a reunion every 5 years, starting in 1960. (1)
Media links
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Sources
- Personal communication
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