Remembering the USS Indianapolis

Eternal father strong to save

whose arm does rule the restless wave...

Oh hear us when we pray to thee

for those in peril on the sea.

--U.S. Navy Hymn,

Reverend William Whiting (1825-1878)

--In Harm's Way, page 277

When surfing on Goodreads about a month ago, I saw a book that caught my eye. The title was “In Harm’s Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of its Survivors.” I like reading about ships, so I asked Kevin to pick it up at the library for me. As I opened it, I noticed that there was a list of the final crew members on the inside covers of the book. As an avid genealogist, I naturally scanned down to the M’s (Marple is my maiden name) and nearly jumped when I saw the name Paul T. Marple (unfortunately, not one of the survivors). I quickly looked for his name in my PAF (Personal Ancestral File) but with no luck. I know we are related somehow, since all Marples in America come from a David Marple who immigrated to Philadelphia in the late 1600s. I then Googled his name and to my surprise found a website from Northwestern University that posts his picture with signature, stating that an Award and Lecture Series was established in 1946 in memory of Paul T. Marple and Kenneth J. Schweitzer (another name from my bio line). These men were both chemistry graduate students who had accepted commissions in the Navy during WWII, and both lost their lives in the war. Here is the link:

http://chemgroups.northwestern.edu/plu/seminars.html

I also looked for him in familysearch, and in other various places, but without success. I called the National Archives and a man there told me I was in luck because the infamous 1973 St. Louis fire had not touched the Navy records. I also checked the census record for 1920 and 1930. I found him in the 1930 census for Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. Thinking about his burial/memorial, I wondered if they were able to rescue his body. If so, where would his body have been buried? If not recovered, and most likely missing in action and buried at sea, where would his memorial be? Then remarkably the pieces of this amazing puzzle started to unfold. I remembered a couple years back that my brother Dean had gone to the Philippines to see his daughter Nancy who was living there at the time. After visiting the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Dean called me to let me know that there was a Marple memorial there. He gave me the name and, of course, I checked my PAF. Finding nothing, I didn’t give this name another thought—that is, until this week. After checking the online list of names at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial and then talking to Dean again, I was able to confirm that this is the name Dean originally told me about. Here is the link to the cemetery:

http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ml.php

And now I know who Paul T. Marple was: a sailor on the USS Indianapolis. By reading the book I learned about the tragic fate of the ship that left San Francisco on a top-secret mission, carrying the “Little Boy” (the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima). After their mission was completed and as the ship was heading on to their next assignment, the Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The ship only took 12 minutes to sink. 300 sailors lost their lives immediately and 900 were stranded in the ocean for days. Only 341 survived in the ocean, and 4 more lost their lives after rescue. This book records one of the saddest tragedies in American history.

The amazing set of circumstances this week that made it possible to link up one piece of information given to me by my brother several years ago with such an amazing and horrific story are ones that I don’t want to forget: this is genealogy at it’s best! I will continue to find more information on Paul and I will link him into our family tree. Sixty-four years later, near the anniversary of his death, on 30 Jul 1945, Paul T. Marple, Ensign, U.S. Navy is not forgotten. His service to our country is immeasurable. His story will continue to be remembered and his life honored. May he rest in peace.

A man's bones and skin can be burned away into powder and ash, but what's left is without form. Courage, duty, and honor have no permanent home. --In Harm's Way, page 275