USS Indianapolis National Memorial — Attraction in Indianapolis

A tastefully modest marker commemorating the US Navy heavy cruiser named after the Circle City. Three panels detail the ships' history from its initial launch, and pre-War assignments through WWII and its final mission, delivering the first atomic weapon to the island of Tinian. Just 4 days later, the ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine. The memorial focuses on the historical effect of the mission on ending the war so the observer must continue elsewhere to research and learn 879 of the 1196 man crew which were lost in the sinking. The terrible story of the conditions those sailors endured has been recounted in film and books - but their sacrifice and that of their their shipmates through the pre-war years is a well-earned point of pride and remembrance for the city.The memorial is well-kept and...

Beautiful memorial. The story engraved is accurately detailed and tastefully delivered, considering the graphic nature of the attack on the USS Indianapolis and the awful events that followed. My son was even intrigued by this monument to those brave men who lost their lives that day and the few who lived to tell their stories (he is 13 and history lessons rarely get his attention) Great spot on the canal too, beautiful at night time. There is even a small playground nearby for little ones. Also a lot of open area for outdoor activities like running, walking, and even aerobics, pilates, or yoga. Nice gathering area for social gatherings in a scenic location and so much around the area to do and see. One of my favorite places to be in...

Lovely memorial to those heroes who fought so hard for the freedoms we enjoy today. It would be nice if they included the other service's flags, as the entire effort was not branch-specific. The bomb was an Army and Air Force effort for example. But I certainly understand that only Navy and Marine personnel were lost. Tragic story if you take time to educate yourself on the whole incident and how they scapegoated the captain and how his crew supported him to his dying day. That must have been a comfort to his family. They were all heroes and nobody can ever take that away. All serious historians agree this mission saved...