I met him near Pheonix in the 1980's, fine guy, he told me the story of the Indianapolis.

Like most Americans, I was unaware of the tragedy, and sacrifice of these brave men.

I was working as a crop-duster pilot, and accidentally let some over-spray of salt water we were using to defoliate some cotton drift over his patch of rapinin greens.

 I stopped by after and asked him how much dmamge I owed him for. He kind of chuckled, and said, Aw, you probably didn't do it any more damage than I have. What a classy guy. When I shook his hand, his mitt engulfed my whole hand, the biggest human hand I had ever seen, still had that strength that allowed him and the other survivors to endure the Hell of being adrift for 4 days in the ocean.