Charles B. McVay III
Charles B. McVay III | |
|---|---|
McVay talks to war correspondents in Guam about the sinking of his ship in August 1945 | |
| Birth name | Charles Butler McVay III |
| Born | August 31, 1898 Ephrata, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 6, 1968 (aged 70) Litchfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Place of burial | Bayou Liberty, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Service years | 1920–1949 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands | USS Indianapolis (CA-35) |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Awards | Silver Star Purple Heart Navy Unit Commendation |
| Spouses | Elizabeth "Kinau" Wilder
(m. 1924; div. 1936)Louise Claytor
(m. 1936; died 1961)Vivian Brown (m. 1961) |
| Children | Charles Butler McVay IV Kimo Wilder McVay |
Charles Butler McVay III (August 31, 1898 – November 6, 1968) was an American naval officer and the commanding officer of the cruiser USS Indianapolis which was lost in action in 1945, resulting in a significant loss of life. Of all captains in the history of the United States Navy, he is the only one subjected to court-martial for losing a ship sunk by an act of war, despite the fact that he was on a top secret mission maintaining radio silence.
The testimony of Mochitsura Hashimoto, the Japanese commander who sank his ship, also seemed to exonerate him. After years of mental health problems, McVay committed suicide at 70 years old. Following years of efforts by some survivors and others to clear his name, he was posthumously exonerated by the 106th United States Congress and President Bill Clinton on October 30, 2000.