question, how would I find out which one of the rescue ships was the one that rescued my grandfather Russell Lee Brandt?
SurvivorsDaughter said
Jul 22, 2015
Your grandfather was picked up by the USS Bassett. Same as my father. Of the 317, 149 were picked up by the Bassett.
JACK said
Jul 23, 2015
Thanks you so much. I just read a book written by a USN officer that was aboard the USS BASSETT describing the rescue operation of the Indianapolis and was wondering if this might have been the vessel that rescued him. As close as My grandfather and I where and all the time we spent together, he rarely offered any insight or details surrounding the sinking of the ship or the aftermath. The only time I can remember him speaking about this unsolicited he was describing how on the last afternoon he was in the water he was holding another sailor up above the water line by his hair. He said that a raft was dropped from a search/rescue plane and he was the only one with enough energy left in his group to swim to the raft and bring it back which presented a tough decision for him as he would have to let go of the sailor he had been supporting. He went on to say that he reached the raft and was able to secure it and get it back to his group. He did not give any more details than that in regards to what happened next and I did not ask him to as I could tell that he was very emotional about conveying what he had. Every time I hear a survivor's story I am so amazed/inspired by their personal story, will to survive and the sacrifices that they had to make to get home to their loved ones that it makes any tough situation I personally might have to face/faced seem irrelevant.
SurvivorsDaughter said
Aug 28, 2015
If you would like more information about the USS Indianapolis Second Watch Organization (children, grandchildren and families of final sailing crew), please feel free to email me at BullardMBullard@aol.com. We also have a Facebook page: USS Indianapolis CA-35 Second Watch
question, how would I find out which one of the rescue ships was the one that rescued my grandfather Russell Lee Brandt?
Thanks you so much. I just read a book written by a USN officer that was aboard the USS BASSETT describing the rescue operation of the Indianapolis and was wondering if this might have been the vessel that rescued him. As close as My grandfather and I where and all the time we spent together, he rarely offered any insight or details surrounding the sinking of the ship or the aftermath. The only time I can remember him speaking about this unsolicited he was describing how on the last afternoon he was in the water he was holding another sailor up above the water line by his hair. He said that a raft was dropped from a search/rescue plane and he was the only one with enough energy left in his group to swim to the raft and bring it back which presented a tough decision for him as he would have to let go of the sailor he had been supporting. He went on to say that he reached the raft and was able to secure it and get it back to his group. He did not give any more details than that in regards to what happened next and I did not ask him to as I could tell that he was very emotional about conveying what he had. Every time I hear a survivor's story I am so amazed/inspired by their personal story, will to survive and the sacrifices that they had to make to get home to their loved ones that it makes any tough situation I personally might have to face/faced seem irrelevant.