Last Surviving Marine From USS Indianapolis Dies

A Trigg County native who was the last surviving Marine aboard the USS Indianapolis during a Japanese attack in World War II passed away recently.

According to media reports 96-year-old Edgar Harrell, who lived at the Tennessee State Veterans Home in Clarksville, passed away Saturday, May 8. Harrell was one of 316 crew members who survived the attack by Japanese forces and waited for help for four days in shark-infested waters.

Harrell was born in Trigg County on October 10, 1924, and joined the Marines during World War II, stationed aboard the USS Indianapolis in the Pacific. A post on the USS Indianapolis Facebook page noted that Harrell helped guard components of the atomic bomb while he was stationed on the ship.

Harrell was awarded the Congressional Medal and received an honorary promotion to the rank of Sergeant in 2018. Harrell and his son wrote a book called ‘Out of the Depths’ that detailed his experiences.