Harold Bray of Benicia is one of 22 living survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. A search crew recently uncovered the ship’s wreckage in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. (Photo courtesy of Debbi Bray)

Harold Bray of Benicia was one of 1,196 men aboard the USS Indianapolis when it was struck by a Japanese submarine in 1945 and one of only 317 to make it out alive after the cruiser sunk. He is one of only 22 survivors alive today.

The location of the wreckage of the cruiser remained a mystery for several decades until Aug. 19 when a search team funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen discovered the wreckage 18,000 feet below the surface of the Philippine Sea.

The discovery of the USS Indianapolis brought closure to the survivors of the sinking and their families, Bray included.

“That was what we’d been looking for for the last 72 years,” he said.

The Indianapolis was launched in 1931 and had several missions during World War II. One of these was to deliver a briefcase of enriched uranium and other parts of the Little Boy atomic bomb that would later be dropped on Hiroshima, although the contents of the case were not known to the crew members at the time.

The mission to deliver the briefcase was a success, but upon the Indianapolis’ return voyage, it was shot by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. The ship sunk, leaving hundreds of men stranded in the Pacific Ocean, where they had to deal with dehydration, hypothermia and encircling sharks for five days. Many had perished in the sea, but those who were still alive were rescued by a pilot on a bomber mission. The surviving shipmates, including Bray, were awarded Purple Hearts.

The sinking of the USS Indianapolis has been frequently portrayed in popular culture, including a fictionalized account delivered by Robert Shaw in “Jaws” and as the subject of last year’s “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage” starring Nicolas Cage. However, the whereabouts of the actual ship went undiscovered for 72 years prior to the search crew’s discovery.

Bray’s biggest feeling of closure was for the men who were unable to survive the blast and were trapped on the ship.

“The kids that we lost—880 guys that night—never got a proper burial,” he said. “They never came home, so that’s my reasoning for being so glad they found her. There’s now a burial site where they can know where their kids are.”

Bray, who later served as an officer for the Benicia Police Department for 23 years and turned 90 in June, has attended USS Indianapolis survivor reunions once a year in July every year since 1960. Bray said he hopes nobody takes anything from the ship although he would not mind if the anchor would be used for the USS Indianapolis Memorial in Indiana.

“Other than that, just leave that stuff alone,” he said.

Bray was recently interviewed by CNN for a segment about the discovery.

“They got in touch with me through our organization,” he said.

Bray discussed his personal memories of the sinking. The exact air date of the segment is not known.

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