Person:John Schmueck (1)

Attended first Newquist reunion at Schubert's Woods, Aug. 20, 1960

John SCHMUECK

   Birth Date: 17 Dec 1920  
   Death Date: Dec 1981  
   Social Security Number:  119-01-2490  
   State or Territory Where Number Was Issued:  New York 

 HR0673  LRB094 14371 HSS 49300 r 

1 HOUSE RESOLUTION

2 WHEREAS, Throughout most of World War II, the USS 3 Indianapolis served as the Flagship of the Fifth Fleet in the 4 Pacific under the command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. 5 Navy; during her career in the Pacific, she earned a total of 6 10 Battle Stars; and

7 WHEREAS, After safely delivering the world's first 8 operational atom bombs to Tinian Island, she was sent to join 9 the assembling invasion fleet at Leyte Gulf; halfway between 10 Guam and Leyte, at 14 minutes past midnight on July 30, 1945, 11 the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes of a spread of 12 six, fired by the submarine I-58 of the Imperial Japanese Navy; 13 and

14 WHEREAS, The Indianapolis was mortally wounded, and 15 everywhere men were killed, seriously burned, and maimed; 16 within 12 minutes, while brave men struggled to hand out life 17 vests, drag wounded shipmates, and scramble topside, the 18 Indianapolis sank quietly beneath the surface of the Pacific; 19 and

20 WHEREAS, Of the ship's company of 1,197 men and one 21 passenger, the survivors estimate that about 800 made it into 22 the water and relative safety, where the dangers were just 23 beginning; fuel oil coated the sea and blood from the wounded 24 attracted sharks; lack of water and food caused many to 25 hallucinate, to fight among themselves, and to go mad; for five 26 days, the men struggled until they were finally discovered, and 27 only 318 remained to be rescued; and

28 WHEREAS, The sacrifice of the USS Indianapolis has been 29 honored by our nation with a national memorial located in 30 Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated on August 2, 1995; and

 HR0673 - 2 - LRB094 14371 HSS 49300 r 

1 WHEREAS, Thirty-two citizens of Illinois survived the 2 ordeal, including Maurice Bell, Russell L. Brandt, John K. 3 Bullard, Curtis H. Burton, Norman S. Galbraith, Edgar A. 4 Harrell, Harlan C. Havener, Joseph F. Hubeli, Gust C. Katsikas, 5 Walter Kazmierski (Kay), Oliver W. Kenly, Michael N. Kuryla 6 Jr., Ralph Lane, George E. Laws, Arthur L. Leenerman, Robert A. 7 Lucas, Donald C. McCall, Robert M. McGuiggan, Anthony F. Maday, 8 Chester J. Makaroff, Farrell J. Maxwell, Herbert J. Miner II, 9 Troy A. Nunley, John Olijar, Richard A. Paroubek, Herbert A. 10 Rehner, Earl Riggins, John A. Schmueck, William E. Simpson, 11 Andre Sospizio, Daniel F. Spencer, and Charles M. Turner; and

12 WHEREAS, Today, just 14 men from Illinois remain that 13 miraculously survived the sinking of the Indianapolis; ten 14 reside in Illinois and four in other states; they include 15 Maurice Bell (Alabama), Edgar A. Harrell (Tennessee), Troy A. 16 Nunley (Florida), Richard A. Paroubek (Virginia), Gust C. 17 Katsikas, Michael N. Kuryla Jr., George E. Laws, Arthur L. 18 Leenerman, Robert A. Lucas, Donald C. McCall, Robert M. 19 McGuiggan, Herbert J. Miner II, Earl Riggins, and Andre 20 Sospizio; therefore, be it

21 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 22 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 23 we honor the men that fought for our country during World War 24 II and miraculously survived the sinking of the USS 25 Indianapolis; and be it further

26 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 27 presented to each of the remaining survivors as an expression 28 of our esteem.

http://www.ussindianapolis.org/guestbook/gbarchive3.html My grandfather, John A. Schmueck, was a pharmacists mate on the Indianapolis. I'm now thirty and it has been one of the great regrets of my life that he passed when I was too young to know him as a man. He was a great grandfather, and when I have children I would like to be able to tell them what he endured for their future. This sight will help me do that. Thank you to those who created it. And thank you to all the men who served. If anyone knew grampa, I'd love to hear a story. Ian Schmueck <ianmel@@earthlink.net> Chicago, IL USA

In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the ... - Google Books Result by Doug Stanton - 2003 - History - 339 pages During abandon ship drills, the wounded had been instructed to gather on the quarterdeck, and Haynes saw that his pharmacist's mate, John Schmueck, ...