Harold Bray, Benicia resident and survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, will be joining author Sara Vladic for a special library event. (File photo)

Staff Report

   Harold Bray, a longtime Benicia resident and survivor of the infamous torpedo attack on the USS Indianapolis, will discuss his harrowing experiences following that incident in a speech at the Benicia Public Library in October. He will be joined by one of the authors of a book about the Indianapolis sinking.

   On July 30, 1945, Bray was among 1,195 sailors aboard the USS Indianapolis which had just delivered components of the Little Boy atomic bomb that would later be dropped on Hiroshima. During its return voyage in the middle of the Philippine Sea, the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. Approximately 900 sailors were able to escape the ship where they became stranded at sea. Of these, nearly 600 died from dehydration, sustained injuries or shark attacks until 316 were rescued by a bomber pilot who flew overhead. Bray was one of the 316 who survived, and at the age of 91, he is the youngest of the 14 who are currently living. 

   Following the war, Bray was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946. He moved to Benicia in 1948 where he worked at the Arsenal and then the Benicia Police Department until his retirement in 1982. 

   Also speaking at the event will be Sara Vladic, who co-authored the book “Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty Year Flight to Exonerate an Innocent Man” with Lynn Vincent. According to a news release, Vladic has become one of the world’s leading experts on the USS Indianapolis, having become obsessed with the story at the age of 13. Over the next 20 years, she met and interviewed 108 of the ships’ survivors, Bray included. In 2016, Vladic released “USS Indianapolis: The Legacy.” She has also published new research on the ship in “Proceedings, the official journey of the Navy.”

   The event will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct.10 in the Dona Benicia Room at the Benicia Public Library, located at 150 East L St. Bookshop Benicia will be on hand to sell the book, and Bray and Vladic will sign copies. The event is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required. To make a reservation, go to benicialibrary.org/events/uss-indianapolis-event. 

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