Read
For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psalm 37:28
Reflect
So often we hear stories that we wish were true, but aren’t. Then there are the stories that we wish weren’t true, but are. This is one of those stories.
Some of you might be familiar with the tragic tale of the USS Indianapolis, but I suspect that many of you aren’t. In the last days of World War II, the naval war cruiser was assigned to carry out a top-secret mission to the island of Tinian — to carry the uranium and parts needed to assemble “Little Boy” — the bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima less than two weeks later. Having delivered its sensitive cargo, the Indianapolis then steamed a few hours south to Guam, and on July 28 set out unaccompanied through enemy waters toward Leyte in the Philippines.
Thus begins the tragedy. The Navy allowed the Indianapolis to churn through waters known for Japanese submarine activity. Predictably, the enemy submarine I-58 spotted the Indianapolis and planted two torpedoes squarely in its hull. In less than 15 minutes, the ship had capsized and was heading for the bottom, carrying with her at least 300 seamen. They were the lucky ones. The remaining 900 or so crewmen was set adrift in shark-infested waters. It was more than three days before the survivors were spotted by a couple of patrol aircraft. And it wasn’t until the night of August 2 that all of the survivors — only 316 of them — were rescued.
There was a lot of blame to go around, but in its effort to “pin the tail” on one person, likely for political reasons, the Navy decided to court-martial the captain of the Indianapolis, Charles B. McVay. In spite of little evidence to support its case, the Navy convicted McVay for hazarding the ship by not “zigzagging,” a tactic that most people (including the commander of the Japanese submarine) felt had little or no value. With the conviction, McVay became the only commander (out of more than 350) court-martialed for the sinking of a ship under their command.
So who was actually culpable for the incident?
- The Navy said an SOS was never sent or received by the Indianapolis, but records show that three radio operators did receive the call, including one that was drunk.
- The Indianapolis was due at Leyte on July 31, but no one noted that the ship was overdue, including the officer responsible for tracking the ship’s movements.
- The Navy failed to inform McVay of the sinking of another ship less than a week prior. He was merely told that Japanese submarines might be present.
Admiral Chester Nimitz understood that there had been a miscarriage of justice. He used his powers to remit McVay’s sentence and restore him to active duty. Despite this and because of the initial conviction, many still held the captain responsible for the deaths of more than 900 sailors. It was a burden he never escaped, so much so that he took his own life in 1968. Almost 30 years later, a sixth-grade student named Hunter Scott did a project on the Indianapolis. His thorough research brought attention that led to an eventual Congressional investigation that officially cleared McVay’s name.
Justice is something that is very important to the Lord. The Bible mentions directly or alludes to justice more than 300 times, which makes it clear that God himself is just and wants us to pursue his righteous character. In the case of Captain McVay, the desire for retribution or political hay was apparently far more important than justice. And the implications of injustice were something that he carried with him to his grave.
You may never have the opportunity to mete out justice on such a grand scale as a court-martial, or in any legal setting. But all of us can stand up for what’s right whenever we have the chance. When that day comes, Be certain that you care about the things that the Lord cares about, and that you set aside all personal feelings and pray for the strength to stand with the side of good and righteousness.
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
