05/25/2026
Wishing a meaningful and restful Memorial Day from everyone at the society. An immense thank you to those who are actively serving, have served, and to the families of our service members.
To those who have made the ultimate sacrifice we will always remember and honor you for protecting us.
: Robert Gause, born on Jan 20, 1920, in Tarpon Springs, Florida, graduated from Tarpon Springs High School in 1938 and joined the US Navy. He married his wife Norma Neal in 1941, just before the Pearl Harbor attack.
Robert was a senior quartermaster when he found out he would be shipped out on the USS Indianapolis, the flag ship for the 5th Fleet. At 610 feet long, the Indianapolis carried 1,200 men.
The Indianapolis got into several major engagements while Robert was on board - from Japan to Iwo Jima to Okinawa. In Okinawa, they were hit by a su***de plane and several men in Robert’s division were killed.
After repairs, they headed back into the Pacific carrying secret cargo. Although the crew didn’t know it, they were delivering components for Little Boy - the first atomic bomb to be used against Japan - to Tinian Island, the launching point for the bombs. Setting a world-record for speed, USS Indianapolis reached Tinian on July 26, 1945, unloaded their cargo, and headed to Guam and then Leyte. Although Captain Charles McVay requested an es**rt for their trip, his request was denied.
Just before midnight on July 29, 1945, Robert couldn’t stand the heat below, so he went topside to sleep in the catapult tower. A few minutes later, a Japanese submarine fired several torpedoes at USS Indianapolis. Had Robert been below deck, he would have been killed by the first torpedo, which went right through his quarters. The second torpedo split the ship open.
Robert ran to his battle station but quickly realized the ship was sinking. He jumped off and swam out 150 yards away, where survivors had started to form a group. He looked back and saw the ship standing on end before it sank - 10 minutes after being hit.
The men of the USS Indianapolis stayed in the water for four day and five nights. Every day but one, Robert saw a shark, although none ever tried to bite him. If a man drifted away even just 10 feet, he would either drown or be taken by a shark and never seen again. Delirium set in and some would head for imaginary nearby islands in search of fresh water or attempt to drink water from the sea. At one point, Robert tried to wake up a friend he thought had fallen asleep; in fact, his friend had been cut in half by a shark and was dead in his lifejacket. This story was told in the movie Jaws: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9S41Kplsbs
Out of his group of 157, only 27 survived to be rescued. Most died of exposure, salt poisoning, and dehydration.
On August 2, 1945, Robert spotted a plane flown by Lt. Wilbur Charles “Chuck” Gwinn as it came by on a routine patrol flight. He and other survivors waved and hollered as loud as they could. Miraculously, Lt. Gwinn spotted the survivors in the water, finally leading to their rescue.
Of almost 1,200 crewmembers, just over 300 survived.
Robert survived the war and returned to his family. He lived to be 88, passing away on June 18, 2008.
Listen to Robert tell his story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIyfeRX2Ztw
📷: Robert with his family
