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Posted on 07/31/2025 5:33:03 AM PDT by DFG
There is a statue of Harold Bray on the corner of Military and First streets in Benicia. The 7-foot-tall statue — created by Matt Glenn — shows smiling Bray as a teenager in his U.S. Navy uniform.
“I wanted to show the sparkle in his eye as if he was saying, ‘Everything is going to be OK,'” said Glenn at the statue’s unveiling in 2023.
Eighty years later everything is OK for the statue’s subject, who calls himself “The luckiest man in the world.” But on July 30, 1945, Harold Bray was anything but lucky.
Bray was one of 317 people jumping into the Philippine Sea after the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The man who would one day become the last remaining survivor of the USS Indianapolis found himself struggling in the water nothing but sharks in his line of vision.
Even worse, nobody knew where he was.
July 30, 1945
After starting in Mare Island, the USS Indianapolis eventually delivered a atomic bomb on Hiroshima in July 1945. On July 30, Japanese submarine I-58, captained by Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto, fired two torpedoes that struck the Indianapolis on its starboard side — one in the bow and one amidship, killing approximately 300 of the 1,195 sailors. The rest jumped ship, only to land in the Philippine Sea — full of not just salt water, but massive amounts of oil and sharks.
Only 316 sailors would survive three and half days in the sea. One was a nervous 18-year-old named Harold Bray.
Bray decided earlier that night to sleep topside. The decision may have saved his life.
“At first I couldn’t believe it was going down — how could something so beautiful sink?,” Bray said in 202. “I got to the fantail and I saw three guys leaning up against the bulkhead. I started thinking, ‘I better get off this thing.’ I grabbed the lifeline and ran down the side of the ship to get away from the screws. That’s when I jumped a good 40 feet. I hit the water and a lot of oil right away. It was so thick, there was no getting around it.”
In just 12 minutes, the Indianapolis had sunk. It would not be found for another 72 years.
“With the moon being really bright that night, you could still see people jumping off the ship,” Bray told the Times-Herald in 2014. “It was like ants coming off a stick.”
When Bray jumped into the water, he only had his dungarees on. He wasn’t cold. He was hot, because of the oil.
On Tuesday night, Bray, now 98, credited the group in the water for helping save his life. Still a teenager, Bray was quickly helped take charge of his group of 18.
Still a “rookie,” Bray spent time with his skipper on the ship, which was unusual at the time.
“I spent a lot of time on the tail of the skipper, following him around everywhere,” Bray said Tuesday, a hint of a laugh in his voice. “I was really close to him, he dragged me along with him and I was close to the action. Many people were jealous of me and my job.”
Once in the water, Bray’s training and natural leadership skills kicked in, guiding men with up to 10 years of experience on him.
“The key was always trying to stay above the water, as originally I didn’t have a life jacket,” Bray said. “Eventually a guy that had died floated by and I used his life jacket.”
Bray, one of the first men drafted out of the ROTC, says that experience helped him in dire situations like this one.
“I was one of the head guys in my group, but I was just 18,” Bray said, his voice rising. “We were just kids.”
Bray is quick to give thanks and credit to Dr. Lewis Haynes and sailor Thomas “Pappy” Goff.
“He kept me alive,” Bray said in 2014, fighting back a tear. “I have to give him a lot of credit. Everyone was drinking the salt water immediately because everyone was so thirsty. He told me, ‘Don’t drink it. Don’t do it.’ I listened to him and that helped save me.”
As difficult as the proximity of the sharks was, Bray says something he had learned earlier helped save his life.
“Try to stay in the middle of the group,” Bray said on Tuesday. “It was the people on the outer edge of the circle that would usually get attacked by sharks first. Then I learned that if you just kicked them, kind of pushed them away, they often wouldn’t come back. If you tried fighting with them, that’s when they would stick around and get you.”
The nights, with the handicap of darkness, were hellish. But it was the daytime when the sharks were to sure to appear.
Bray waited days for rescue. Finally, Bray saw his “Angels” — a PV-1 Ventura flown by Lieutenant Wilbur “Chuck” Gwinn and his copilot, Lieutenant Warren Colwell, and a PBY 2 piloted by Bill Kitchen. They spotted the men adrift while on a routine patrol flight. Bray would be rescued by the USS Bassett.
“I can’t describe to you how it felt when the ships started showing up to rescue us,” a tearful Bray said back in 2014.
Continuing service in Benicia
After the war, Bray received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946 in Illinois. From there he soon moved to Benicia, where he has lived ever since. Bray would eventually join the Benicia Police Department, where he worked in patrol and narcotics until 1983, when he retired.
Having survived the disaster of a lifetime, Bray could only laugh at the notion of finding himself in the dangerous field of police work.
“When I was in the eighth grade, my teacher asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up and I told her that I wanted to be a police officer,” Bray said in 2014. “It was either that or a cross-country truck driver.”
Debbi Bray, Harold’s daughter-in-law, says looks can be deceiving with Harold.
“Growing up, all the kids thought he was mean,” Debbi laughed. “He had that smirk and those aviator sunglasses. But then you would meet him and you’d see how friendly he was. They’d say, ‘He’s not mean at all.’ He would sometimes catch kids doing bad things and he’d make them come to the police station at 8 in the morning and make them wash the police cars. He’d say, ‘They don’t deserve to go to jail. They’re just young and stupid right now and need a little scare.'”
The last man standing
With the passing of Cleatus Lebow in October of 2023 at the age of 98, Bray became the lone living survivor from the USS Indianapolis.
Although Bray appreciates the crowds and applause that inevitably come at airports and other public events, he is visibly uncomfortable with the attention. Wary of the recognition, the humble gentleman only visits the statue on rare occasions.
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world and I really appreciate all the stuff that comes for me all the time. I take it, the good and the bad in my life as it comes,” Bray said on Tuesday. “But I don’t want to put myself ahead of anyone and I don’t feel like I’m better than anyone. I don’t want to be put ahead of anyone.”
Others close to him, disagree.
“Harold will often say he’s not a hero, that the real heroes are the ones that didn’t make it back home from the Indianapolis disaster or other battles in World War II,” said retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Sam Cox in 2023. “But I believe the two aren’t mutually exclusive, specifically when it comes to that ship. None of the people aboard that ship had any choice in the matter concerning the cargo it was delivering, but they did have a choice concerning the skills that it took to survive. Harold had all those skills beyond what any of us can imagine.”
On Tuesday night, Bray and his wife, Stephanie were joined by admirers to commemorate the 80th anniversary. Bray has often visited the city of Indianapolis for reunions, but decided to stay home in Benicia this year with friends and family.
One of the people at his Benicia get together was author Sara Vladic. Previously she said she was grateful she has learned about Bray and survivors like Lebow for her book: “Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.” She’s also the administrator of the official Facebook page for the USS Indianapolis along with Kim Roller, who constantly puts out information on the site about Bray.
“From Harold, I learned a lot about the perspective of the very young men who went aboard Indianapolis and survived,” Vladic said in 2020. “They believed they were just too young to die, and it wasn’t a possibility. We understand that, of course, age wasn’t a discriminating factor in their survival — sailors ranging from the ages 16 to their mid-40s were lost during those five nights and four days of hell. I think the lesson we can all learn from these incredible heroes is a simple statement that every single one of them still says often — never give up.
“Also, Harold still wins the title for giving the best hugs.”
Stephanie Bray, who married Harold in 1981, says Harold is a great man and that although they don’t travel as much as they used to in a RV, they both still love each other and enjoy each other’s company.
“We have wonderful caregivers and he loves to fight with them,” Stephanie said Tuesday night, with a laugh. “He eventually does what he’s supposed to do … He still has a great sense of humor and we sit and laugh a lot.
“Look, it’s like they say in marriage — it’s for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,” Stephanie said. “I had two girls, aged 2 and 4 when I married him. He has been so good to them and they don’t even think of him as a stepdad.”
Stepdad? Nah, true American hero slips off the tongue a little nicer.
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Giving him that just brings back the nightmares. If they ever went away. My Dad was at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7. Never talked about it but had nightmares until he died at 85 years old
Since it does not say, Benicia is in California just north of Berkley.
The rescue didn’t happen. Some dispatcher that got the message and didn’t pass it on because he was drunk. The sharks had a field day with them.
Get it if you can find it.
“In Harms Way” was a fantastic read.
Yes, it was. Also “Left to Die” about the USS Juneau and the Sullivan brothers.
Does anyone know if this gentleman is related to FReeper Bray? I’ll send him a PM in case he hasn’t seen this yet.
Benicia is between Vallejo and Martinez on the Carquinez Strait 25 miles from Berkeley.
Harold Bray has lived in Benicia, California for many years (as did I). Mr. Bray routinely shared his story with high school history classes (both my sons heard his story). I met him once and spoke with him, he is a gentlemen and a hero.
His birthday was June 15th. He turned 98 years old.
His family and friends asked for birthday cards and well wishes from as many people as possible. The address to send the cards is:
Harold Bray
PO Box 174
Benicia, CA 94510
IAs stated above I lived in Benicia for over 20 years and have spoken to him.
Thanks for that info. Benicia is a beautiful spot and he might be able to see the decommissioned naval ships stored at Suisun Bay from there. Been awhile since I lived in Sacramento and made that trip to the bay area but it was always a beautiful sight. Something magical about it but that was MANY years ago - 1960’s....
I had two cousins who were members of the crew. One of them was thought to have been killed instantly when the torpedoes struck. The other got drunk and rowdy at their previous port of call and was thrown in the brig, causing him to miss the ship’s departure. For the rest of his life, he was known as “Lucky.”
Funny story about the ‘the mothball fleet’ (now gone): We moved to Benicia in ‘92. Oldest son was eight. We drove past the MBF and explained to him what it was and that mothballs were used for storage of clothes.
Weeks later we drove by again, this time with one of his friends in the car. The friend asks what those ships were my son replied: Oh, that’s where the Navy keeps all their old clothes.
(surprised the left hasn't torn it down as being a symbol of White Supremacy)
I'll never forget my mother telling me about how many young boys were killed in WW II from her high school class. She said they could hardly wait for graduation so they could enlist. She said the "Private Ryan" character played by Matt Damon looked exactly like the farm boys she grew up with, who never returned.
Very odd - the photo appears correctly on my post on my end.
USS Indianapolis was a victim of a multitude of errors, including:
1. Being top-heavy, which caused the ship to sink in minutes.
2. Despite having no anti-submarine weapons, it was denied a destroyer escort.
3. Moving from the Central Pacific theater to the Southwest Pacific, neither command kept a track of the ship.
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