Left for Dead

The preface opens from the perspective of Hunter Scott, a then-sixteen-year-old student from Pensacola, Florida. Hunter recounts presenting his project on the sinking of the USS Indianapolis at a state School History Fair in July 1997, where he was surrounded by 10 or 20 veterans of the Indianapolis disaster. Because of this project, Hunter explains, he became involved in a legal battle in Washington DC as part of the campaign to clear the name of the captain of the USS Indianapolis: Charles B. McVay III.

Hunter decided to investigate the sinking of the USS Indianapolis for his upcoming school history fair project. To Hunter and his father’s fascination and chagrin, there was very little information on the sinking. Hunter decided to use a naval newspaper to try to locate survivors to interview for his project.

Hunter’s first interview was with Maurice Glenn Bell. Bell provided Hunter with a list of the other survivors, whom Hunter reached out to with requests for additional information and questionnaires. Bell believed that Captain McVay, who was held responsible for the disaster, had been treated unjustly. After reading the accounts of many more of the survivors, Hunter agreed and became determined to clear the captain’s name.