James E. O'Donnell

James E. O'Donnell. USS Indianapolis CA-35. , Drafted into the Navy in 1944. Jim O'Donnell left his native Indianapolis home to serve in the Second World War. Assigned to the USS Indianapolis as a Water Tender Third Class, Jim participated in the following campaigns aboard the ship: Saipan, Tinian, Pelelu, Anguar, Iwo Jima, the Marianas "Turkey Shoot", and Okinawa. He was also on board for the ship's record-setting run to Tinian, where it delivered the atomic bomb destined for Hiroshima., When the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese sub-marine in the early hours of July 30, 1945, Jim O'Donnell was one of the 1,196 men on board the ship. After 108 Hours (4 1/2 Days), in shark infested waters, Jim and his shipmates were rescued, however only 317 men survived. It was the worst Naval disaster in our Navy's history. For his service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Asiatic Pacific Medal with five stars and the Medal of Peace., Following the war, Jim returned home where he served as a Firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department for 35 years, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He retired for IFD in 1981., A recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, in 1995 the Indianapolis Star and News gave Jim O'Donnell the prestigious honor of naming him "Man of the Year" for Indianapolis. This honor was bestowed on him for his military accomplishments and his unwavering dedication to the completion of the USS Indianapolis National Memorial on the Canal in downtown Indianapolis to memorialize his lost shipmates and survivors., After the war Jim returned home to his wife Mary Alice, he had and raised four children. They were married 70 years. , Jim passed away on January 9, 2013 at the age of 92., Jim O'Donnell was the sole survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis from the city of Indianapolis.