Left For Dead

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I started reading this month's book and realized I forgot to post about last month's book club.  We read Left for Dead by Peter Nelson.  Here's a brief summary:

"Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The ship sank in 14 minutes. More than 1,000 men were thrown into shark-infested waters. Those who survived the fiery sinking—some injured, many without life jackets—struggled to stay afloat in shark-infested waters as they waited for rescue. But the United States Navy did not even know they were missing. The Navy needed a scapegoat for this disaster. So it court-martialed the captain for “hazarding” his ship. The survivors of the Indianapolis knew that their captain was not to blame. For 50 years they worked to clear his name, even after his untimely death. But the navy would not budge—until an 11-year-old boy named Hunter Scott entered the picture. His history fair project on the Indianapolis soon became a crusade to restore the captain’s good name and the honor of the men who served under him. "

In my opinion, this book exemplifies all that is wrong in the world while still showing us the amazing perseverance and hope that still lies within the human race.  I found the accounts of the sailors to be thoroughly horrifying.  I can't even imagine being stranded in the ocean for almost 5 days while watching fellow shipmates being eaten by sharks, hallucinating from exhaustion, and drowning from drinking salt water.  Sadly though, the part of this book that upset me the most was the cover up of the Navy and the captain they broke down as part of their own personal agendas.  I never fail to be amazed at how out of touch people become once they gain a little power, and the amount of damage they do when they wield their sword of vengeance without using common sense and when they fail to be honest with themselves and others.

If this was the whole story I wouldn't have liked it, but what made this story meaningful to me was the triumph of a 5th grader and a crew who rallied to finally have history reversed and a captain's honor restored.  I was inspired by each of these men and particularly by the father of this boy who gave him the encouragement and support to follow through with such an enormous undertaking.  I think only a child could have accomplished what Hunter did, and it gives me hope for the future and restores my faith that once in a while there really is someone who is not afraid to stand up for what is right and true.