Indianapolis, IN
North Bay World War II veteran recalls Indianapolis sinking, shark attacks
BENICIA — Fleet Week is meant to recognize and thank those who go to sea in defense of the nation but, for some, the sacrifice can be hard to imagine. A Navy veteran living in Benicia survived one of the most harrowing ordeals in World War II.
An American flag flies over the Benicia home of Harold Bray. At age 96, Navy veteran Bray’s living room is adorned with paintings and memorabilia from the only ship he ever served aboard, the USS Indianapolis.
In July 1945, the war in Europe had already ended when the Indianapolis left Mare Island in Vallejo carrying a secret cargo that the military hoped might end the war with Japan.
Bray was 17 and had just left boot camp. He said few on board knew the importance of the mission.
“It was just a trip out of Mare Island but we took on a bunch of kids and I was one of them,” Bray recalls.
The ship carried a secret weapon — the first atomic bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy.”
Bray said the bomb’s carrying crate was secured on the ship’s quarter deck and he once sat on top of it, having no idea what it was. The cargo was delivered safely to Tinian Island but it’s what happened afterward that people remember the Indianapolis for — thanks in large part to a gripping scene in the movie Jaws. In the film, Quint, the shark-obsessed boat captain, explains what happened to the Indianapolis.
“Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. Just delivered the bomb, the Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in twelve minutes.“
Bray remembered what that was like for him.
“I don’t know how I was so lucky. I just hit the side and swam away from the ship and I hollered for guys. I had my arm over a raft and I got aboard. Eighteen guys on my raft,” he said. “Guys were fighting each other for room on the raft. Well, I’m not going there, I’ll hang onto somebody that’s hanging onto the raft. So, that’s what I did.”
In the movie, the fictional Quint continues with a fearfully factual description of the Indianapolis sinking.
“Very first light, Chief, the sharks come cruising. So, we formed ourselves into tight groups. Shark comes to the nearest man, he starts pounding and hollerin’ and screaming. Sometimes the shark go away. Sometimes he wouldn’t go away. Lost 100 men. I don’t know how many sharks, maybe a thousand. I don’t know how many men. We averaged six an hour.“
Bray said he didn’t like the way the experience was portrayed in the movie but not because it was fake. He says it was painful because it was so true.
“It was a bad experience. There was nothing good about it. Every time you looked around, somebody was gone,” he said, his voice softening. “The sharks were there. That was a terrible scene. The sharks got a few young guys. Oh, I don’t want to talk about it…”
Out of a crew of nearly 1,200, only 318 survived.
Because the mission was secret, no distress signal was sent. They were in the water for five days when a plane happened to spot the men and they were picked up and taken to a hospital on Guam.
“I wasn’t hurt at all. Except memories, you know?” Bray said. “A lot of guys I helped in the water that were hurt. It’s just, they’re always there, the guys that didn’t make it.”
Bray says he still thinks about the experience nearly every day. After the war, he came home, became a Benicia police officer and raised a family.
His wife, Stephanie, says he still never talked about it to anyone.
“When Jaws came out — the movie — they were talking about it at the police department and he happened to be in the room and he said ‘Oh, I was on that ship.’ And that was the first that they ever knew.”
Then Indianapolis survivors began planning regular reunions and Stephanie said it helped them to be around people who truly understood.
“And very healing, too, for them,” she said. “Because they had been instructed by the Navy: ‘Go home and forget about it. Don’t even talk about it.’ His parents never knew.”
Time, of course, has taken its toll on the crew and, when a fellow shipmate recently died, Bray became the sole remaining survivor of USS Indianapolis. In July, Benicia thanked Harold for his service to his town and country, with a life-size bronze statue of him as that young sailor, fresh out of boot camp.
Not surprisingly, he responded with quiet humility.
“I was wondering why they picked me because I was — I didn’t do anything spectacular.”
Bray finished out his enlistment but the Navy never asked him to sail again and, to this day, he says he’s not comfortable on the water.
The Indianapolis Colts released their first practice report for the New York Giants Week 16 matchup on Christmas Day. However, per the Colts’ post on X: “The Colts did not practice on Wednesday. The Colts did not practice on Wednesday. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 25, 2024
Wednesday’s practice report is only an estimation of a player’s participation if there was a practice.”
Wednesday’s practice report is only an estimation of a player’s participation if there was a practice. pic.twitter.com/dhW1dbr0qU
Tight end Mo Alie-Cox (toe), linebacker Jaylon Carlies (shoulder), and E.J. Speed all filed as non-participants for the ‘practice.’ However, Anthony Richardson sticks out like a sore thumb with his designation (back, foot).
Richardson has been far better in 2024 at avoiding injuries and is coming off a divisional win against the Tennessee Titans where he completed 7/11 passes for 131 passing yards, one touchdown toss, and an interception. Richardson also tacked on nine carries for 70 rushing yards (7.8 yards per carry), and another score.
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Richardson’s practice report for the rest of the week will be the top name to monitor as Indy looks to defeat a struggling Giants team at MetLife Stadium. Despite the Colts getting a much-needed victory over the Titans at home, they did so in close fashion (38-30) despite a fantastic performance from running back Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis must play better defensively late in the game, limit turnovers offensively, and continue to operate well through the ground attack to defeat Brian Daboll’s squad. We’ll see what happens with Shane Steichen’s approach and Richardson’s designation as the week winds down.
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The Indianapolis Colts had a solid offensive performance during their much-needed win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. But no one had a bigger day on that side of the ball than star running back Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor had his best showing of the season during Sunday’s 38-30 victory against the Titans, one where he put up 29 carries, 218 rushing yards, and three touchdowns. It was his second contest in a row with over 100 yards on the ground, and his second time this season landing multiple touchdown scores in one game.
Yet, to put up over 200 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns in one day has been almost unheard of across the past decade in the NFL.
Taylor’s electric 200-yard, three-touchdown performance matches with only two others in the past ten years. ESPN’s Stephen Holder revealed just how rare Taylor’s day was when showcasing the Colts’ most eye-popping stat from Sunday:
“Taylor became the third player with 200-plus rushing yards and three touchdowns in a game over the past decade. His 218 rushing yards were the second most of his career, behind 253 yards against the Jaguars in 2020.”
– Stephen Holder, ESPN
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A day with over 200 yards is nothing new for Taylor, as this one vs. Tennessee only comes in as his second-highest rushing total for his career. Yet, to pair the production on the ground with three rushing touchdowns has only been done by two other players: former Pittsburgh Steelers back Le’Veon Bell and former Titans back, Derrick Henry, who accomplished the feat twice.
Jonathan Taylor again from 70 yards out! 🔥
📺: #TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+ — NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/IuGb4jFfsu
It’s been one of Taylor’s better collective seasons since being drafted to Indianapolis in 2020. Through 12 games, he’s posted 1,129 yards on 237 carries, piling in eight rushing touchdowns and a receiving. The historic day against the Titans makes this fifth-year pro look even better.
The Colts back will have some easy assignments on the schedule ahead, hopefully continuing his hot hand moving into the final stretch. Indianapolis will hope to secure two straight wins when they travel to New Jersey this weekend to face the 2-13 New York Giants.
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Circle City Athletics is gearing up to host its 10th annual Tito’s NYE 2025 Party on Dec. 31.
The event will take place from 8:45 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1:30 a.m. Jan. 1 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.
Tickets for the event are expected to sell out quickly, according to a release from the organization that offers adult sports leagues and social events. Founded in 1994 as a local small business, CCA Sports and Social touts itself as a staple in the Indianapolis community.
This event will include six open bars, along with gourmet hors d’oeuvres, casino games, palm readers, henna tattoo artists, and a photo booth, according to organizers. General admission tickets start at $160 each.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka will return as the headline sponsor, joined by new partner Buffalo Trace.
The company holds signature events like the Tito’s NYE Party, Santa Stumble, and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
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