USS Indianapolis survivor passes away

One of the 317 survivors of USS Indianapolis, America’s worst naval disaster, died March 20 in Monongah, W.Va. Sam Lopez, a member of American Legion Post 31, was 93.

After Lopez and his crewmates completed a secret mission — delivering components for the atomic bomb — a Japanese submarine hit and sunk the ship in 12 minutes on July 30, 1945. Of the nearly 1,200 crew on board, about 300 went down with the ship.

Those who escaped were thrust into darkness and oil-slicked waters. Four days slowly passed as men floated in the Pacific Ocean awaiting rescue, hoping not to be devoured by sharks. Roughly one-fourth of the original crew were finally rescued and brought to safety.

With Lopez’s death, the number of Indianapolis survivors is now 17.

Lopez, who was awarded the Purple Heart, attended ship reunions with his former crewmates. Last year, only seven USS Indianapolis survivors attended the event.