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These are the gentlemen who located the survivors of the USS Indianapolis.  In the picture on the left:  Front row, l-r:  Lt. Wilber C. (Chuck) Gwinn (pilot), Lt. Warren Colwell (co-pilot).  Back row, l-r:  AOM 2/C Herbert H. Hickman, Chief Radioman ACRM William Hartman, AOM 1/C Joseph K. Johnson.  The picture on the right was taken immediately after returning from sighting the survivors.  Front row, l-r:   Herbert Hickman, Joseph Johnson and William Hartman.  Back row, l-r:   Warren Colwell, Wilber Gwinn.

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Above is the flight log showing the location of the survivors. The aircraft was named "Pelelui Sue". Their home base was Pelelui Island, Paula Group, Caroline Islands.

(Below is a speech that was prepared for the USS Indianapolis Monument dedication, and Memorial Reunion held in Indianapolis, August 2, 1995. This speech was not delivered because of time limitations for the reunion commemorating the sighting of, and the subsequent rescue of the survivors of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) fifty years before on August 2nd 1945. The cruiser was torpedoed on July 30, 1945. And through a fluke in Navy tracking, was not missed until a Navy Patrol-bomber from the Island of Pelelui, flying a routine patrol, ran across a thin oil slick drifting across their assigned patrol course. The pilot, Lt. Wilbur C. Gwinn, and his crew, Co-Pilot William Colwell, Chief Radioman William Hartman, 1st Class Aviation Machinists Mate Joseph K. Johnson, and 2nd Class Aviation Ordinanceman Herbert Harold Hickman, Turret Gunner, and Radar Operator abort the aircraft, thought they possibly had a Japanese sub snorkeling on the surface recharging its batteries east of their assigned course. They immediately headed at low altitude and at high speed for approximately fifteen nautical miles to intercept and destroy the sub when they came upon the survivors and all the debris in the shark infested water. The survivors told the crew that if they had not spotted the men when they did, they would not have been there another day. They had reached the limit of their endurance and were mentally broken. At that time, they  had been in the water three days and three nights. By the time some were picked from the water by rescue vessels, they had been in the water for five days and four nights. Read the book "Fatal Voyage", Author Dan Kurzman for the whole story.)

"Six Most Important Words of Your Life"

    As I stand here before you now, and think back to that day of miracles -  August the second of 1945 - and remember all the things that happened, I know and understand that God was answering many prayers at that moment in our lives. God answered those prayers, and Lt. Chuck Gwinn and his crew were there as things happened that made us unknowingly progress to the point that your rescue started.

    On that day we had been assigned the task of checking out a new type of trailing weight for our long range communication radio system. After Lt. Gwinn took the aircraft off, the antenna was reeled out and the new weight separated in about two minutes. We returned to base and another one was installed. This time Lt. Gwinn took the aircraft off, but waited until we were well on our way toward your position in the Pacific when the antenna wire was reeled out for the second time. It remained intact for about five minutes, when our radioman, Chief Bill Hartman, reported to Lt. Gwinn that the second weight had separated from the antenna wire and our long range communication was now inoperative. Joseph K. Johnson and I were given the task of trying to retrieve the antenna wire through a window in the bottom of the aircraft, and to find something to attach to it to make it trail our aircraft. The antenna was whipping around viciously and we were trying to devise an extension of some kind to reach it.  Lt. Gwinn turned the aircraft over to Co-pilot Lt. Colwell while he came back to try to help. All this time we had progressed on our assigned patrol heading to a point almost due west of your position and approximately fifteen nautical miles from you (356 nautical miles from your base on Pelelui). Lt. Gwinn, your "Angel" came back and knelt down at the tunnel window to take a look at the situation. While doing so, he suddenly jumped up and headed for the front of the aircraft. I shouted to him above the noise of the aircraft, asking "what's the matter?" And he said "Look down and you will see".  At that moment, your rescue started. I looked down, for what seemed to me like a long time, but I imagine it was around 20 seconds before the wave's position reflected the suns rays up to me. At this instant it revealed the oil slick, and then it was gone from view. I seriously doubt that JK or I would have noticed the oil slick because our minds and attention were directed at the antenna. At this moment we thought we had a Japanese sub, and we were at that instant on a search and destroy mission. As we circled down and followed the oil slick at a very low altitude for approximately fifteen nautical miles, and about as fast a speed as our aircraft could attain, we came upon you and all the debris. I cannot describe to you the astonishment that we felt at that moment.  And to this day as I think back on the scene, I am continuously amazed that in a spilt second we were transformed from a search and destroy mode to a concerned and compassionate rescue team circling over you.

    So in closing, I would like to say, remember those six words which are the most important to your life today, said by your "Angel", Wilber C. "Chuck" Gwinn---

"Look down and you will see"

Written by Herbert H. Hickman AOM 2C, Aviation Ordinanceman, Turret Gunner, Chuck Gwinns Crew, VPB-152