Charles B. McVay III
Charles B. McVay III was a United States Navy officer, born on August 31, 1898, in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1920 and served on several ships over his naval career, which included significant contributions during World War II. McVay gained recognition for his leadership as executive officer on the USS Cleveland during operations in the Pacific, earning a Silver Star for his actions in 1943. He later commanded the USS Indianapolis during its fateful mission to deliver atomic materials to Tinian, which ultimately led to the ship's sinking by Japanese torpedoes on July 30, 1945. Of the ship's 1,196 crew members, only 317 survived, including McVay, who was later court-martialed for negligence related to the ship's navigation tactics. This incident sparked public outcry, and despite a distinguished career, McVay faced lasting accusations from the families of lost crewmen, which contributed to his struggles with trauma and mental health. He tragically took his own life in 1968, but in 2001, efforts by veterans and advocates led to his posthumous exoneration by Congress for the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. McVay's legacy remains a complex blend of naval heroism and the tragic consequences of wartime leadership.
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Subject Terms
Charles B. McVay III
Rear-Admiral, United States Navy
- Born: July 30, 1898
- Birthplace: Ephrata, Pennsylvania
- Died: November 6, 1968
- Place of death: Litchfield, Connecticut
Also known as: Charles Butler McVay, III
Education: Yates Academy, United States Naval Academy
Significance: Captain Charles Butler McVay, III, was assigned to the USS Indianapolis during World War II. He is known for completing a top-secret mission that delivered atomic materials that were used in the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During the return route to Leyte, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank. Captain McVay was held responsible and court-martialed.
Background
Charles Butler McVay, the son of Edith Reno McVay and Admiral Charles Butler McVay II, was born in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1898. For his secondary education, McVay attended Yates Academy, a preparatory school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Upon his high school graduation, McVay received a presidential appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, from President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. While attending the Naval Academy, McVay was a member of the tennis, swimming, and soccer teams. While still a midshipman, McVay served on the USS Frederick in the summer of 1918, which functioned as an escort for the Atlantic Fleet. McVay was commissioned ensign and graduated with the class of 1920, where he was detached from the Naval Academy and assigned to the USS North Dakota until 1921. During the 1920s and 1930s, McVay served on the nearly a dozen ships and had several positions within the Navy Department.
Life's Work
In March of 1942, McVay was assigned executive officer to the USS Cleveland, which later took part in the landings in North Africa in 1942. In December of 1942, the USS Cleveland was transferred to the Pacific to cover transport groups. As executive officer on the cruiser, he participated in naval operations in the New Georgia area, a group of islands in the greater Solomon Island chain. For his actions during this operation, McVay was awarded the Silver Star medal for his action on March 5, 1943. After a short stint in the Pacific with the USS Cleveland, McVay was detached and sent to Washington to serve as the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Staff, Office of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department. McVay remained in this capacity until he was assigned command of the USS Indianapolis on November 18, 1944. While under his command, his cruiser partook in the attacks on Iwo Jima and air attacks on the Japanese home islands in March of 1945.
While taking part in the bombardment of Okinawa, the USS Indianapolis was damaged by kamikaze attacks and ordered to return to the navy yard at Mare Island, California. After the ships repairs were concluded, the USS Indianapolis partook in a secret mission to deliver atomic materials to Tinian, materials that were later used in the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Prior to delivering these materials, McVay requested a destroyer escort because the USS Indianapolis lacked the sonar required to detect submarines, but his request was denied. After delivering the materials, the USS Indianapolis was ordered to head to Leyte. On the night of July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was struck by two Japanese torpedoes and sank. Of the ships' 1196 crewman, it is estimated that roughly nine hundred survived the attack and made it into the waters of the Pacific. Of these survivors, only 317 crewmen, including Captain McVay, survived until rescue four days later. The sinking of the USS Indianapolis is considered the worst naval disaster for the United States during World War II.
The delayed rescue was a consequence of the secret nature of the ship's mission. Thus, Navy protocol did not report the ship delinquent. Suffering injuries from the attack, McVay and his crewman were rescued four days later after being spotted by a plane on a routine patrol. Although some accounts have suggested that sharks took the lives of crewman who survived the initial torpedo attack died, such accusations have since been disproven. Recent research concludes that most of the crewmen lost at sea died from wounds suffered in the initial attack.
After McVay recovered from his sustained injuries, a navy court of inquiry investigation recommended that he be brought up on charges of negligence for failing use the proper "zig-zagging" technique for avoiding enemy submarines; at the time, the maneuver was thought to aid in avoiding enemy torpedo attacks. McVay was found guilty of failing to zig-zag, and he never received command of another ship. After the court-martial, he was appointed chief of staff and aide to the commandant, Eighth Naval District, New Orleans, Louisiana, where he served until his retirement on June 30, 1949.
Impact
The sinking of the USS Indianapolis near the end of World War II, with its significant number of lives lost, sparked a public outcry. Despite an exemplary career as a navy officer, McVay was found negligent and forced to retire with the rank of rear admiral. After years of suffering the accusations of families of lost crewmen and struggling with the aftermath of war's trauma, McVay committed suicide in 1968. The efforts of surviving veterans and a middle school student from Pensacola, Florida, named Hunter Scott, brought the tragedy of McVay to light, and in 2001 Congress exonerated McVay for the loss of the USS Indianapolis and so many of her crew.
Personal Life
McVay was married to Kinau Wilder. Their eldest son, Charles Butler McVay, IV was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1925. Their youngest son, Kimo Wilder McVay, was born in Washington, DC in 1927.
Bibliography
Harrell, Edgar, and David Harrell. Out of the Depths: An Unforgettable WWII Story of Survival, Courage, and the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Bethany House Publishers, 2014.
Lech, Raymond B. The Tragic Fate of the USS Indianapolis: The US Navy's Worst Disaster at Sea. First Cooper Square Press, 2001.
Nelson, Pete. Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis. Delacorte Press, 2002.
Newcomb, Richard F. Abandon Ship!: The Saga of the USS Indianapolis, the Navy's Greatest Sea Disaster. HarperCollins, 2000.
"Seeking Justice: A Victory in Congress." USSIndianapolis.org. www.ussindianapolis.org/resolution.htm. Accessed 9 Dec. 2016.
Stanton, Doug. In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors. Henry Holt and Company, 2001.
Stanton, Doug. "Indianapolis Sailors' Legacy and Lessons." Naval History, vol. 30, no. 3, June 2016, pp. 38–39.