#Saltwater: Atomic Shark

[mobsterqueer]

A whale, the infinite leviathan, it's maw a cornucopia for the fleshy worms and sharks that wriggle across the abyssal ocean floor. She sings to me, her bones withering back into the deep sediment, her atoms vibrate against mine as I touch her skeleton. The sunlight cannot reach here, but little creatures glow and glitter in the depths.

This is the mother of creation, of life. I feel like a grain of sand under her eyeless gaze, and I feel the tug in my gut that tells me that I am her calf. She made me as miraculous as I am, incubating me in her womb. She made life from the primordial ooze, and laid down the foundations of my existence ever so lovingly, with a tenderness I couldn't grasp. It's overwhelming.

My own mother rejected me in life. I was a creature of ugliness to her eyes, so she averted them, and shame digs her grave even now. Shame etched itself into me too, across my bones, into the marrow. My mother started the cracks herself. So the love I feel pouring from the carcass is insurmountable. I cry, and now I know why the ocean is saltwater.

I am surprised when she speaks to me next. Her voice is a song that's familiar and warm, as old as time. "Yes, love, there is much suffering in this life. But I never made you to suffer."

I furrow my brows, confused. She continues.

"I made you because you are miraculous. Your life is short, but as vibrant and as vast as anything. Do you know why?"

I shake my head.

"It is because I pour into you my love. When the sunlight touches your skin, when you curl up under the blankets with a lover, when your joy is full to bursting... that is my love for you, little one. You are, by your own existence, a redical act against the unending universe."

"But why? We are such small little things. Why love any of us? We dont matter."

Her chuckle vibrates the tectonic plates, and heat rises, giving birth to deep sea vents. They curl upward in towers that creatures huddle against for warmth. The glow illuminates her in a yellow light. It feels like the sun's rays on my skin.

"Oh, little one. Haven't you seen it yourself?"

I recall the things that bring me joy. Coffee. Little fat birds. Sunlight. Summer evenings. My partner.

The little things.

[world-war-2-archives]

USS Indianapolis was a Portland-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. It was torpedoed and sunk, 30 July 1945, by Japanese submarine I-58. The wreckage was located, 19 August 2017. The Indianapolis had been ordered to deliver parts of the first atomic bom to the u.s. airforce base in Tinian. After a successful delivery the ship went on her way to the Philippines and was on training duty.At 0015 on 30 July 1945 the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58. She went down in less then 12 mins. approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water.The navy didnt know of the sinking and four days later survivors were spotted by the crew of a PV-1 Ventura on routine patrol. Only 317 survived.Captain Charles B. McVay III, who had commanded Indianapolis since November 1944, survived the sinking and was among those rescued days later. In November 1945, he was court-martialed and convicted of "hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag". Mochitsura Hashimoto, commander of I-58, testified that zigzagging would have made no difference. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitzremitted McVay's sentence and restored him to active duty. McVay retired in 1949 as a rear admiral.he committed suicide in 1968, using his Navy-issued revolver. Sources I used for the article are: sharkfacts-hubpages.com,Indianapolis wiki,CNN archives and The Guardian.com https://www.instagram.com/p/BvJEJpRnMhg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mfld602jikuj

[tarstarkasnet]

Atomic Shark (Review)

Atomic Shark

aka Saltwater 2016 Written by Scott Foy, Griff Furst, and Jack Snyder Directed by A.B. Stone Atomic Shark is a pretty darn good SyFy shark flick, but the problem is, it was so close to being among the best that I’m angry it missed the boat! But I guess no one can live up to Ghost Shark, so we got to just accept the fact that you are good and fun, but not the new classic we were hoping…

[amazingmsme]

Why Jesse Tuck Hates The Ocean

Miles and Jesse had pledged to spend more time together. Family was the only consistency in their eternal life, and every few years they decided to plan a vacation together. They've visited the African safari, climbed Mount Everest, kayaked down the Amazon, and seen countless other sights. Miles remembered how much his brother had loved the ocean. He used to talk about it constantly, rambling about the countless creatures that lurked in the waters that would remain unknown. He used to say that he would go down in a submarine one day to see what it was like, and if he couldn't find one, he would swim to the bottom of the sea himself. As the years went by, he talked about it less. Miles assumed he'd just forgotten about his dream with time. After all, they've been alive for over 200 years and they didn't always remember certain things. So he decided that he'd do something nice for his brother, and asked if he wanted to go to Australia with him, where they could go surfing, relax on the beach, and even get in a shark cage next to some of the world's largest great whites. Jesse used to say how he always wanted to do that, but in recent years, it was as if his brother had completely forgotten that the ocean even existed. But when he asked if he wanted to go, his brother had a panic attack. It took 20 minutes to get him to calm down. He didn't know if he wanted to talk about or leave it be, and he decided to leave that up to Jesse.

"I hate the ocean," those were the only words he could choke out between sobs. And just like that, all the reasons came flooding back to him.

Reason 1: 1912 He had bought a ticket for the maiden voyage of the biggest ship to date. History was being made before his eyes, and he was gonna be a part of it! History was made alright, and after days of gambling and fun, it all came to an end. He felt the boat strike something large and heard a terrible metal scraping. Everyone else dismissed it for the most part, but he could tell something wasn't right. Hours past and suddenly they were sinking. Chaos on deck as people rushed to the lifeboats that there were too few of. Women and children first. Jesse knew he couldn't get on one, it would be too selfish of him. He would survive no matter what. Someone else needed that seat.

He jumped early on. The boat was just beginning to capsize when he plunged himself into the icy waters. His body froze instantly when he hit the water. Just because he was immortal doesn't mean he can't feel, and even though he couldn't really feel pain, it was the most excruciating thing he had ever felt. It was the closest thing to physical pain he could feel. He almost missed it. He sunk for a good bit before coming to his senses. His eyes shot open and all around him he only saw black. He  tilted his head back and saw the boat lights above the water, illuminating the lifeboats and bodies floating. Suddenly, half of the ship broke off and sank quickly past him, startling him as the metal brushed past. He had ran out of air a long time ago, and even though he couldn't die, it was a frightening feeling. His lungs yearned for air, and when he opened his mouth, water rushed inside, filling his body and making him weak from the cold. He tried to cough but found he couldn't, the taste of salt overwhelming him. He was 25 meters below the surface but found he couldn't swim anymore. He needed to rest. It wouldn't hurt to rest, right? He felt his eyelids flutter as the urge to sleep and give up grew more and more.

He shook his head, forcing himself to stay awake. He forced his numb limbs to move through the water until finally, he broke through the surface. The air was sharp against his cold skin as screams and cries rang out in the night, calling for help that didn't come. He looked up at the dark moonless sky dotted with stars and closed his eyes, silently praying for mercy. He forgot which way land was, so he picked a random direction and started swimming.

89 days. That's how long it took to swim back to shore. 89 days of swimming constantly until he couldn't feel his arms and legs, letting himself drift with the waves, staring blearily up at the sun. He was so cold, he forgot what warmth felt like; he was so wet, he forgot what being dry felt like. And even though he didn't necessarily need food to survive, his stomach rumbled so loud, he was shocked it didn't attract sharks or other creatures. He saw a pod of blue whales swim past, breaching close by. It was a beautiful sight, the only good thing to happen to him since he started his swim. He hoped it was a sign of good luck, and that good things were coming his way.

He cried when he saw land on the horizon. He arrived off the coast of Delaware, surprisingly close to his home in New Jersey. His money was soaked, but he had enough to pay a cab driver to drive back to his house where he finally got to rest. He drank two whole gallons of water, and ate all the food in his pantry before sleeping for three weeks straight.

Reason 2: 1945 Jesse had been drafted in the second World War. It wasn't his first one, but after the Great War, he hadn't been too eager to get back to fighting. He was on a secret mission on the USS Indianapolis to deliver the atomic bombs that were said to bring an end to the war. After a successful arrival, they were all ready to celebrate. Then things took a turn for the worst. Two torpedoes struck the ship, and they started sinking. This was so much faster than the Titanic. The boat was sunk in 12 minutes.

Jesse and his comrades clung onto ship wreckage, donned in life jackets. He looked at the men around him, noting that a large chunk of the crew didn't make it out. He yelled out asking for names, hearing the voices of his friends and relaxing a bit. Until he felt something brush against his leg. And someone else did too. And someone else. And then there was the first attack.

By the light of the almost full moon, Jesse watched in horror as his brothers in arms got picked off one by one by ravenous sharks. Blood in the water swirled around them, drawing in more hungry predators. Pain filled screams filled the air as the men were ripped apart and drowned, and the heart wrenching sobs of those who were forced to watch their friends die before their eyes. There was nothing Jesse could do but watch.

"Quint! Over here!" Jesse called out to his friend, pulling him onto his piece of driftwood for safety. The pale moonlight illuminated the scene, and saltwater and tears drenched their faces. And then Jesse felt himself be pulled down. Quint reached out to grab his hand and Jesse tried to cling on, but their grip was no match for a shark's jaws.

It's a strange thing, not dying: being able to feel, but not feel pain. He could feel the teeth sunk into his thigh, ripping and dragging him down only, it didn't hurt. He felt the pressure of each tooth that pierced his skin and tore away the flesh. Jesse tried to get away in a panic, but another shark bit through his arm. Another grew in it's place. He stared at the new appendage before getting struck from behind by the original shark, taking a bite from his side, only for more flesh to grow and replace it. Jesse looked up, staring into the blank and empty eyes of the shark, it's mouth opening wide, showing him all it's teeth, chunks of flesh stuck between. Jesse screamed, the last of his air long gone and swallowing mouthfuls of sea water. His lungs would ache if they could. He reached back as far as his arm could reach, and with all his might thrust his fist towards the shark, punching it on the nose. It swam off, leaving him alone and allowing him to return to the surface. Everyone screamed, not knowing what to expect.

He coughed and sputtered, "It's okay, I'm okay." By the time they were rescued, only 317 members of the 1,196 person crew remained. And out of all the people who went under the water, only Jesse made it back to the surface.

Reason 3: 1985 By this point in time, Jesse had a rough relationship with the ocean. He still loved splashing along by the shore, but refused to get in water deeper than he could touch. He was swimming along a crowded beach in Florida, trying his best to calm his swarming mind. And then he felt something brush against his leg and he froze. Memories came flooding back as teeth dug into his leg, spilling blood into the water for all to see. His skin and flesh instantly healed and the hammerhead swam off after the exploratory bite, but the damage was done. Mothers were gathering their children from the water and lifeguards were already coming to his rescue as the entire beach watched on. Everyone was expecting him to be injured, to have a piece of him missing, to have meat hanging on by the skin. They were all preparing themselves for something awful. Only he didn't have a single scratch on him. Not a single solitary flaw on his smooth perfect skin. His blood was still lingering in the surf, proof of what had happened. He was panicking, thinking of excuses he could use for why he wasn't injured.

He ended up telling the lifeguard that the shark got a fish that happened to be near his leg. He still looked concerned and skeptical, but after looking him over, believed his story. But after that day, it had been proven to Jesse that the ocean was not a safe place for him. It brought nothing but bad luck and traumatizing memories, and he refused to step foot in it. It served as a reminder that no matter what he goes through, there truly is no way out.

Miles didn't know this. He made a point not to tell his family any of this. But he decided now, maybe it was time to share his burden. His brother listened, not uttering a sound, instead listening to Jesse's words spoken through sobs, all the while holding him in a tight embrace. When he was finished, all Jesse could say was, "I used to love the ocean..."

[flashfuckingflesh]

Radioactive Evil Will Bite and Burn Your Ass! "Saltwater: Atomic Shark" review!

Radioactive Evil Will Bite and Burn Your Ass! “Saltwater: Atomic Shark” review!

On the gorgeous and lively beaches of San Diego, an atomic level predator lurks underneath the clear, blue water, splitting the ocean surface with a large glowing red dorsal fin. Lifeguards, Gina and Kaplan, track a series of scorched dead fish washed ashore and determine that a catastrophic environmental event is afflicting the shoreline in the form of an atomic shark, a sunken Russian nuclear…

[lovingunderratedcharacters]

So I saw the ask where you talk about important things being pushed aside in history, and I know you are a military supporter, and I have a degree in military history and genocide studies, I love talking about this stuff with people. Have you ever heard if the USA Indianapolis in WWII? It's a relatively unknown story but an important one.

Yes! I actually just watched the movie about it. I hadn’t heard of the story before then, so I tried to do some research into it. It’s a terrible story and I feel so incredibly bad for the captain, but I agree, it’s very important.

For my followers who don’t know about it, here’s the gist of the story.

So, the USS Indianapolis was a ship in WWII that was responsible for delivering some parts for Little Boy, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Barely anyone actually knew they were out there, because it was a top secret mission, but that adds to how awful the story is.

So, they deliver the parts, and on the way back, they’re torpedoed by a submarine in the Japanese Imperial Navy. The ship sank very fast (because I think they got hit by 6 torpedoes or something) and about 300 men died with the ship. There were about 900 men left, all of whom were floating out at sea for something like 4 days. A lot of them died from wounds received during the sinking, dehydration, exposure, and saltwater poisoning. Another major problem with this was that there were a huge amount of sharks in the area, so the men were constantly attacked by sharks.

After about 4 days, they were spotted by an American plane flying overhead and they were eventually saved. I looked it up and only 317 men survived.

So then, you think they’re done with all of this hell, but no. The captain, Captain McVay survived the sinking, and he was put on military trial. His court-martial was on the grounds that he did not “zig-zag the ship” in order to “save his men.” It was complete BS, and they even got the guy who commanded the JAPANESE SUBMARINE to testify and he testified in favor of McVay, saying that zig-zagging the ship would have made no difference. McVay was still convicted, and he received horrific mail for the rest of his life from the families of the men that died. They blamed him, and he blamed himself, and he ended up committing suicide years later.

He ended up getting exonerated on all charges, but he had killed himself years earlier. The commander of the Japanese submarine actually spent the rest of his life trying to exonerate McVay, but he also died before McVay’s name was cleared.

Let me know if I missed anything, but I actually love this story, and I’ve never cried harder than when I watched that movie. I mean, nothing has ever gotten to me in quite the same way.

[travelivery]

Su Casa, the Silverton Casino Hotel’s newest culinary venture nestled inside Mi Casa Grill Cantina, is now open. The trendy coastal eatery celebrated its opening with a parade of kimono-adorned Japanese dancers, a traditional performance by Taiko drummers, and a ribbon-cutting and Sake toast by Rob Kunkle, President of Silverton Casino Hotel.

Check Out the Photo Gallery Below

Su Casa Menu Item

“We’re confident Su Casa will be a great addition to our lineup of signature restaurants,” said Rob Kunkle. “We are eager to tap into this cutting-edge culinary concept and are looking forward to serving Las Vegas visitors and locals alike.”

About Su Casa

Su Casa will take taste buds on a trip with fresh coastal favorites like Ceviche, Poke Bowls, Sashimi, and Nigiri and hearty dishes such as Sushi Burritos, Sushi Rolls and Ramen. The extensive Sake list, Asian beer selection, and specialty cocktails, like the coconut-infused Osaka Painkiller or the spiked Hokkaido Peach Tea, pair perfectly with the fresh selections and energetic atmosphere, immersing guests in a modern Asian experience.

Menu Highlights

– Signature Sushi Rolls

Su Casa Roll – Eel tuna, avocado, cucumber, unagi sauce, chipotle aioli

Lobster- Crab Diablo – Spicy lobster, crab, habanero-avocado crema

Spicy Crab – Avocado, pickled carrots & cucumber, Sriracha mayonnaise

Shrimp & Avocado – Tempura shrimp, cucumber, avocado, wasabi cream cheese

– Ceviche

Yellowtail – fried lemon rings, spicy coconut broth

Shrimp – roasted tomatoes, habanero-infused orange juice, avocado, corn-nuts

– Poke Bowls

Ahi Tuna – diced tuna, toasted macadamia nuts, Maui onions, toasted seaweed, avocado, sesame seeds

Yellowtail – salted cucumber, avocado purée, lemon zest, ponzu, micro cilantro

– Sushi Burritos

The Big Island – yellowtail, spicy tuna, guacamole, cilantro, pickled red onions, cabbage, wonton strips, Romaine lettuce

West Coast – spicy tuna, Surimi crab, tempura shrimp, chipotle mayo, guacamole, eel sauce, Romaine lettuce, cucumber, wonton strips

– Ramen

Get In My Belly – soft boiled egg, char siu pork, applewood smoked bacon, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, toasted seaweed

– Oysters

Oyster Shooter – habanero-infused tequila, atomic cocktail sauce, Blue Point oyster

Fried Oysters Rockefeller – cornmeal dusted fried oysters, creamed spinach, smoked-bacon crème fraîche, crispy bacon bits

Oysters on the half shell

– Specialty Drinks

Red Dragon – Absolut lime vodka, Funkin’ lychee purée, Torani pomegranate syrup, fresh lime juice

Osaka Painkiller – Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey, cream of coconut, pepper infused orange juice, pineapple juice

Tokyo Collins – Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey, Nagomi yuzu, fresh lemon juice, club soda

Led by Chef Shayne Galan, Su Casa will open for dinner at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and will open for lunch and dinner at 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday.

For more information about Su Casa, visit www.silvertoncasino.com or call 702-263-7777.

Taiko Drummers perform at Su Casa opening ceremony

Su Casa Menu Item

Su Casa Menu Item

Su Casa serves its first guests

Su Casa Grand Opening

Su Casa Grand Opening

Silverton executives toast with Japanese dancers to Su Casa grand opening

Su Casa Menu Item

Silverton executives toast with Sake to Su Casa

Su Casa Grand Opening

Su Casa Menu Item

Silverton President Ron Kunkle at Su Casa ribbon cutting ceremony

Silverton executives celebrate Su Casa grand opening

Su Casa Menu Item

Dancers perform traditional Japanese dance at Su Casa opening ceremony

Su Casa Menu Item

Su Casa Menu Item

Su Casa Menu Item

Su Casa Menu Item

About Silverton Casino Hotel

Silverton Casino Hotel offers 300 deluxe rooms and suites and world-class amenities all located within an upscale, contemporary luxury lodge-themed resort. Silverton Casino Hotel is home to a variety of restaurants and dining options, including the Seasons Buffet, the 24-hour Sundance Grill, Shady Grove Lounge, Twin Creeks Steakhouse, Mi Casa Grill Cantina, Su Casa, WuHu Noodle, Mermaid Restaurant & Lounge, Starbucks and Johnny Rockets. In addition to the flagship 165,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Silverton offers 90,000 square feet of gaming with more than 1,500 slot machines and 23 table games. The property features a 117,000-gallon saltwater aquarium with more than 4,000 sharks, stingrays, and tropical fish, which was voted “Best Attraction” in the 2018 Best of Las Vegas®. Silverton Casino Hotel is located at I-15 and Blue Diamond in Las Vegas. For more information, please call (702) 263-7777 or visit www.silvertoncasino.com.

Su Casa is Now Open at the Silverton Casino Hotel Su Casa, the Silverton Casino Hotel’s newest culinary venture nestled inside Mi Casa Grill Cantina, is now open.

[jessemcdonnellq86]

The Loss and Re-Discovery of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

The Loss and Re-Discovery of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

Today, the U.S.S. Indianapolis remains both a symbol of American triumph in the Pacific as well as the single greatest loss of life at sea (from a single ship) in U.S. Navy history.

Narrow Escapes

On December 7th, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a fateful attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. Much of the Pacific Fleet was irreparably destroyed. But as fate would have it, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was away from port on a training exercise and the crew learned only later of the the tragedy that had befallen many of the cruiser’s sister ships.

It was immediately put to work. First as an escort to the aircraft carrier Lexington, then on to provide fire support during the bombardment of Japanese fortifications as the American military gritted its teeth and fought island-by-island back across the Pacific.

By 1945, the Pacific was mostly in Allied hands, and the Indianapolis was using her main guns to pulverize the remaining beach defenses of Okinawa in preparation for invasion.

The Indianapolis at Mare Island

Japanese aircraft put up stiff resistance.

On March 31, 1945, a single kamikazi plane made it through the anti-aircraft defenses of the Indianapolis. Before crashing, it dropped a single bomb that crashed down through the middle of the ship, flooding much of the ship and sending it listing to one side. After doing as much patching and emergency repairs as possible, the wounded Indianapolis was forced to limp back over the Pacific for complete repairs at Mare Island.

The repair of this near-fatal damage put the Indianapolis in just the right place at just the right time.

A Gun for Little Boy

New top secret orders sent the Indianapolis to the Navy shipyard at San Francisco, when it received a very mysterious cargo. A single unmarked crate was loaded into the hold, along with 2 men who claimed to be U.S. Army artillery officers. The orders were to deliver the cargo to the island of Tinian back in the Pacific, and to do so as fast as possible.

From San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, the Indianapolis set a speed record, averaging 29 knots, to make its fateful delivery.

The true names of the “artillery officers” were eventually revealed to be James F. Nolan and Robert Furman.  And the mysterious crate contained the “gun” mechanism that, assembled with other components shipped by air, would eventually form the Little Boy atomic weapon destined to be detonated over the city of Hiroshima.

The assembled Little Boy at Tinian Island

Shortly after completing this vital mission, the Indianapolis was ordered to resume its support role in the ongoing assault on mainland Japan.

It was then the Indianapolis would finally run out of luck, and suffer its infamous fate.

Abandon Ship

On July 30th, 1945, on its way to the Philippine island of Leyte, the Indianapolis found itself squarely in the sights of a Japanese submarine.

Alone and unescorted, the cruiser was easy pickings. The ship took 2 direct torpedo hits to its starboard side, and water was soon pouring into the vessel. The crew sounded alarms and attempted to abandon ship, but in just 12 minutes the entire 600 foot cruiser rolled up and sank into the murky depths.

A total of 300 crewmen went down with the ship, while over 1,000 managed to escape, only to find themselves treading water in the open sea.

Much of the emergency equipment sank with the Indianapolis, leaving the remaining crew with few tools to improve their situation.

Rescuers would not discover these survivors for 4 days. During which time their numbers were gruesomely whittled away by hypothermia, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, heatstroke, exhaustion, suicide, and finally the predation of oceanic whip tip sharks.

Once help finally arrived, only 317 men remained. Most would carry heavy mental scars of the ordeal for the rest of their lives.

Following the rescue of the Indianapolis survivors, public outrage led Navy investigtors to search far and wide for identify who was responsible for the lack of response.

It has been incorrectly stated, perhaps most famously in the blockbuster 1975 movie Jaws, that the Indianapolis wasn’t identified because of their secret mission to deliver the atomic bomb to Tinian Island. But the truth was the authorities in the Philippines had full knowledge of the exact date and time the Indianapolis was scheduled to arrive.

Reprimands were handed down to the officers thought most responsible for neither properly tracking the movements of the Indianapolis nor failing to report its absence.

Certainly the harshest punishment, though, was the one handed down to the Indianapolis’s Captain Charles McVay III. McVay had managed to survive both the sinking and the 4 days at sea, only to be faulted for not making sufficient evasive maneuvers to avoid the sub attack that had taken the vessel.

McVay was initially court-martialed, then reinstated, before finally retiring in 1949. For the rest of his life, he received hate mail from many of the families of those killed in the catastrophe.

Meanwhile, the destroyed ship itself had sunk quickly and deeply somewhere beneath the Philippine Sea. For many decades, it was assumed the final resting place of the Indianapolis would remain a mystery.

A Recent Re-Discovery

In 2012 Paul Allen, one of the original founders of the technology company Microsoft, decided on a new venture: to explore the suspected locations of famous ships and test new deep sea equipment in the hopes of finding these vessel’s final resting places.

At his disposal was the RV Petrel, a second-hand offshore support ship retrofitted to become a deep underwater research vessel without peer.

In 2017, after a number of high-profile successes, Allen’s team turned to the Indianapolis.

Using available historical information and advanced undersea topographical data, Allen’s team were able to define a 2,600 square nautical mile area in the Philippine Sea as having a high potential to contain the Indianapolis.

The search took 26 days.

The Indianapolis was found on August 19, 2017 at a depth of over 18,000 feet.

While extensive video was taken of the outside of the wreckage, no examination was made of the interior.

Per the mission of Paul Allen’s group Vulcan, the expedition recognizes the U.S.S. Indianapolis as a U.S. Naval War Grave, and has left the ship undisturbed as well as working to conceal the final location.

The actual location of the Indianapolis remains a closely guarded secret, known only to those who found the site and the U.S. Navy.

https://ift.tt/2I4zJwf

[mariefoster2k19zs1]

The Loss and Re-Discovery of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

The Loss and Re-Discovery of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

Today, the U.S.S. Indianapolis remains both a symbol of American triumph in the Pacific as well as the single greatest loss of life at sea (from a single ship) in U.S. Navy history.

Narrow Escapes

On December 7th, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a fateful attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. Much of the Pacific Fleet was irreparably destroyed. But as fate would have it, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was away from port on a training exercise and the crew learned only later of the the tragedy that had befallen many of the cruiser’s sister ships.

It was immediately put to work. First as an escort to the aircraft carrier Lexington, then on to provide fire support during the bombardment of Japanese fortifications as the American military gritted its teeth and fought island-by-island back across the Pacific.

By 1945, the Pacific was mostly in Allied hands, and the Indianapolis was using her main guns to pulverize the remaining beach defenses of Okinawa in preparation for invasion.

The Indianapolis at Mare Island

Japanese aircraft put up stiff resistance.

On March 31, 1945, a single kamikazi plane made it through the anti-aircraft defenses of the Indianapolis. Before crashing, it dropped a single bomb that crashed down through the middle of the ship, flooding much of the ship and sending it listing to one side. After doing as much patching and emergency repairs as possible, the wounded Indianapolis was forced to limp back over the Pacific for complete repairs at Mare Island.

The repair of this near-fatal damage put the Indianapolis in just the right place at just the right time.

A Gun for Little Boy

New top secret orders sent the Indianapolis to the Navy shipyard at San Francisco, when it received a very mysterious cargo. A single unmarked crate was loaded into the hold, along with 2 men who claimed to be U.S. Army artillery officers. The orders were to deliver the cargo to the island of Tinian back in the Pacific, and to do so as fast as possible.

From San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, the Indianapolis set a speed record, averaging 29 knots, to make its fateful delivery.

The true names of the “artillery officers” were eventually revealed to be James F. Nolan and Robert Furman.  And the mysterious crate contained the “gun” mechanism that, assembled with other components shipped by air, would eventually form the Little Boy atomic weapon destined to be detonated over the city of Hiroshima.

The assembled Little Boy at Tinian Island

Shortly after completing this vital mission, the Indianapolis was ordered to resume its support role in the ongoing assault on mainland Japan.

It was then the Indianapolis would finally run out of luck, and suffer its infamous fate.

Abandon Ship

On July 30th, 1945, on its way to the Philippine island of Leyte, the Indianapolis found itself squarely in the sights of a Japanese submarine.

Alone and unescorted, the cruiser was easy pickings. The ship took 2 direct torpedo hits to its starboard side, and water was soon pouring into the vessel. The crew sounded alarms and attempted to abandon ship, but in just 12 minutes the entire 600 foot cruiser rolled up and sank into the murky depths.

A total of 300 crewmen went down with the ship, while over 1,000 managed to escape, only to find themselves treading water in the open sea.

Much of the emergency equipment sank with the Indianapolis, leaving the remaining crew with few tools to improve their situation.

Rescuers would not discover these survivors for 4 days. During which time their numbers were gruesomely whittled away by hypothermia, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, heatstroke, exhaustion, suicide, and finally the predation of oceanic whip tip sharks.

Once help finally arrived, only 317 men remained. Most would carry heavy mental scars of the ordeal for the rest of their lives.

Following the rescue of the Indianapolis survivors, public outrage led Navy investigtors to search far and wide for identify who was responsible for the lack of response.

It has been incorrectly stated, perhaps most famously in the blockbuster 1975 movie Jaws, that the Indianapolis wasn’t identified because of their secret mission to deliver the atomic bomb to Tinian Island. But the truth was the authorities in the Philippines had full knowledge of the exact date and time the Indianapolis was scheduled to arrive.

Reprimands were handed down to the officers thought most responsible for neither properly tracking the movements of the Indianapolis nor failing to report its absence.

Certainly the harshest punishment, though, was the one handed down to the Indianapolis’s Captain Charles McVay III. McVay had managed to survive both the sinking and the 4 days at sea, only to be faulted for not making sufficient evasive maneuvers to avoid the sub attack that had taken the vessel.

McVay was initially court-martialed, then reinstated, before finally retiring in 1949. For the rest of his life, he received hate mail from many of the families of those killed in the catastrophe.

Meanwhile, the destroyed ship itself had sunk quickly and deeply somewhere beneath the Philippine Sea. For many decades, it was assumed the final resting place of the Indianapolis would remain a mystery.

A Recent Re-Discovery

In 2012 Paul Allen, one of the original founders of the technology company Microsoft, decided on a new venture: to explore the suspected locations of famous ships and test new deep sea equipment in the hopes of finding these vessel’s final resting places.

At his disposal was the RV Petrel, a second-hand offshore support ship retrofitted to become a deep underwater research vessel without peer.

In 2017, after a number of high-profile successes, Allen’s team turned to the Indianapolis.

Using available historical information and advanced undersea topographical data, Allen’s team were able to define a 2,600 square nautical mile area in the Philippine Sea as having a high potential to contain the Indianapolis.

The search took 26 days.

The Indianapolis was found on August 19, 2017 at a depth of over 18,000 feet.

While extensive video was taken of the outside of the wreckage, no examination was made of the interior.

Per the mission of Paul Allen’s group Vulcan, the expedition recognizes the U.S.S. Indianapolis as a U.S. Naval War Grave, and has left the ship undisturbed as well as working to conceal the final location.

The actual location of the Indianapolis remains a closely guarded secret, known only to those who found the site and the U.S. Navy.

https://ift.tt/2I4zJwf

[ragincagein4life]

USS Indianapolis

I haven’t posted a Ragin’ Cagein’ review in months; a grave offense on par with Nicy Poo’s hair (wig? spray paint?) in our next film: USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage.  You probably haven’t heard of this movie because Cagey Kins churns out blockbusters (we’ll use that term very loosely) like he needs to pay back the IRS after bankruptcy…oh wait.  Before pressing play, I decided to do a little research on the old Goog to see what pops up.  It currently has 5.1/10 stars on IMDB, which is actually pretty good for our resident screamer.  But then I saw the review on Rotten Tomatoes…9%...me thinks we found a winner.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching this tasty treat, here is the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSDMWJhm_Q

Before diving in (pun intended…too soon?) here’s a little background on the event this movie attempts to recreate on screen, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Her sinking led to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy. On 30 July 1945, after a high-speed trip to deliver parts for Little Boy, the first atomic bomb used in combat, to the United States air base at Tinian, the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58 while on her way to the Philippines, sinking in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks while floating with few lifeboats and almost no food or water. The Navy learned of the sinking when survivors were spotted four days later by the crew of a PV-1 Ventura on routine patrol. Only 317 survived.

U.S.S Indianapolis

Needless to say, this was and still is an incredibly tragic moment in U.S. history that should be treated with respect.  So why was Nic Cage chosen to star in this film?  Great question.  And why I am choosing to review this movie in my snarky voice?  Because it’s my duty as an American! (No it’s not). 

I’ll be honest, I’m already pretty excited to watch this movie because it’s been several months since my last Cage experience and the opening credits is like a desert oasis when I saw this…

A FILM BY

MARIO VAN PEEBLES

Jesus take the wheel.  Or should I say helm?  Anyway, on with the show! 

“There will always be war until we kill our own species.”   

With writing like that, I’m shocked this wasn’t a shoe in for an Oscar Meyer hotdog.  Alas, the graphics are horrendous!  It looks like a computer game played on Windows 95.  Already this plot is tough to follow, one minute NC is writing a letter to his wife (I assume), the next we’re following two young seaman on their romantic interludes (unfortunately isn’t not with each other).  Then we switch to a Japanese submarine where of course all the lighting is red (EVIL!) and they’re sacrificing themselves when it doesn’t even seem necessary.  New characters are introduced in practically every scene with “subtle” foreshadowing about sharks, specifically, their rows of sharp teeth and that humans are at the bottom of the food chain when swimming in the ocean.  

Wait, is that Tom Sizemore?  He’s actually looking pretty good (thank you Dr. Drew and Celebrity Rehab) and I’m glad to see he’s still making war movies...even if they star a melted candle in a wig (seriously though, what is going on with Nic Cage’s face??  His complexion looks gray).  

One of the more flattering shots I could find.

And the glorious writing just keeps coming.  “This isn’t a minstrel show..this is the UNITED STATES NAVY.”  Another cutting line from a naval officer.  Seaman are notorious for dicking around at minstrel shows.

Quick side note. I Googled “minstrel shows” and this was the first image that came up:

Apparently this form of entertainment originated in the 19th century and was performed by white people in black face.  Later on, especially after the Civil War, these shows were performed by actual black people.  Did Steve Bannon write this movie?  Maybe NC Skat Cat’s gray bloat-face pays homage to the human trash pile who also served in the Navy:

Fun fact, you’ll find the picture on the left in the dictionary under “Melanoma” 

Well, the Japanese torpedoes finally hit and the U.S.S Indianapolis melts into lackadaisical chaos.  You might be thinking, “But Katie, doesn’t that phrase contradict itself?”  You are correct, however, the actors in this movie make it an art form on par with Method Acting.  It’s a delightful combination of screaming yet jogging, shrieking orders while lazily jumping off the ship.  Is it time for the sharks to arrive?  

Well, the ship is gone, the men are drifting in the water and I wish the sharks would hurry up so I don’t have to listen to this horrendous dialogue.  I’ll be honest, I was zoning out until random people were pulled under.  Oh, and Tom Sizemore’s character is begging for morphine...how appropriate.  The best part of the water scenes is NC rowing his raft with a comically small ore as seen at the beginning of this delightfully dubbed clip: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MoXLSU_s84 

This movie is abysmal.  Each scene lasts a couple of minutes that either depict ridiculous shark attack scenes or late night confessionals by the survivors about their love lives or the afterlife. 

“Do you think it’s luck who lives and who dies? “It was his time.”

Oh. Was it?

But in all seriousness, this event is considered the worst Naval disaster in our nation’s history where hundreds of men lost their lives in terrifying ways.  They were stranded for four days in shark infested waters while their distress calls went unanswered.  So, yeah...kind of a big deal and not surprisingly, this movie and the characters don’t do it justice...at all.   I think the most fitting line of movie was spoken one of the rescuing soldier:

“This is a class A clusterfuck.” 

Indeed.  I need a pallet cleanser (or an enema for my eyes).

So the men are rescued and there’s still about 30 minutes left in the movie and what comes next feels like it should be a different film altogether.  There’s a lot going on:

-One character, nicknamed ‘Bama’ (gross), marries his best friend’s pregnant girlfriend after he dies at sea.

-Some of the surviving soldiers get together to throw a party the night before the trial.  “What trial?” you might ask...

-Nic-y kins is on trial for not “zig zagging as an evasive maneuver” and “failing to abandon ship in a timely manner” (wait what?) aka you weren’t prepared for a possible attack by the Japanese and didn’t react appropriately.  Basically, the military fucked up big time and are trying to throw him under the bus.  As you can see, our military likes to repeat history.  

-OH SHIT!  During the trial the United States Military calls the Captain from the Japanese submarine that attacked the USS Indianapolis.  Slap in the face to Wig Master Cage.  But I think he lied on the stand to help Cage...blooming friendship on the horizon? 

-NOT GULTY...on one count but they found Cage guilty for not zig zagging.  What is going on in this movie.

-Okay I’ll admit, there’s a scene between NC and the Japanese Captain about forgiveness that I actually kind of liked.  

-I take that back because the movie ends with NC shooting himself in the head.  WHY?!

-The most powerful part of this movie is the ending credits.  Two veterans describe the experience of the shark attacks followed by actual footage of the rescue.  So basically the parts that Mario van Peebles had nothing to do with.  

I think it’s pretty clear how I feel about this movie.  Two hours of actors bumbling on screen, desperately trying to recreate and pay homage to a tragic moment and failing miserably.  I don’t recommend this movie to anyone, even if you’re under the influence of anything...weed, alcohol, paint thinner, etc.  That said, I give this movie 1/5 Ragin’ Cageins.

But not everyone feels the same way.  The following 9/10 star review is from scottwolf-26710 on IMBD:

I am wondering whether the people who posted bad reviews saw the same movie as I did, It was historically good , acting fair, story excellent CGI a little cheesy. But overall very entertaining. I studied this incident and knew an old sailor, who helped off load the bomb on Tinian. Maybe the movie didn't have enough sex and foul language for the people who gave it bad reviews.

You might be on to something old Scotty boy.  I would have enjoyed “U.S.S Indianapolis” so much more if there was a budding love story throughout.  Perhaps something like this:

After abandoning his ship, NC is brought to a raft by a shark who, unlike his brothers and sisters, doesn’t see humans as food.  Rather, he feels a strong connection towards them...maybe even love?  

NC is confused himself.  He should hate the sharks, after all, they’re killing his men!  But there’s something about that first shark, the one he believes saved him that night.  Or was it just a dream?  His mind tells him to remember his wife!  But his heart keeps remembering those beautiful, black shark eyes.  

Over the next four days, NC and the shark steal wanting glances and NC even hits the shark with his tiny ore to cover up his true feelings.  NC knows they can never be and the shark understands that if he truly loves this melting wax figure, he should let him go back to his wife.  

During one particularly lonely night, NC spots his savior in the water just below the raft.  The shark swims quietly to the surface- he knows he shouldn’t be here but the connection is too strong.  As the shark breaks the surface, NC simply says “It’s you.”  With that, the two begin a passionate affair lasting until daybreak.  

On the day of the rescue, the sea was extra salty with the lovers’ tears.  As NC sails away, he looks back one last time and says a silent goodbye to the creature who saved his life but stole his heart.  Just before the screen fades to black, he whispers, “In another life.” 

El Fin 

Potential movie poster?

With that dear readers, I end my review of this ghastly film.  Stay tuned for the next post and if you have any requests, please submit in the comments.

Peace, love and wigs xo