The sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Paper details
You are required to write a 1-3 page position paper thoroughly discussing the material presented in one discussion per week. APA citations are expected.
Captain Charles McVay commanded the U.S.S. Indianapolis during World War II. Upon delivering the atomic bomb, the Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Captain McVay was court-martialed and found responsible for the sinking.
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Read the story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis to gain an understanding of the events and why Captain McVay may have made the decisions he did.
After you have reviewed the information provided, respond to these questions based on your ideas and the resources you have located to support them.
If you were the U.S. Navy decision makers involved here, would you handle the situation differently? How so? Why?
Was Captain McVay’s court martial appropriate and justified at the time, given what was revealed to the court? Would you say the same considering what we know now?
It appears that the cover up or lack of complete disclosure up until the 1990s hampered a full investigation of the incident. How would you suggest the military balance the need for full disclosure with the need to protect military secrets? How does this change (or does it?) in a time of war or a time of peace?
