It’s almost a story within a story as to how this book came about. Jane has long been associated with the USS Indianapolis legacy. Growing up, she met many of Indy’s survivors and their families. Jane’s father was called “Angel” by these men, who had all but given up hope as they endured five nights and four days in the perilous open waters of the Philippine Sea before Gwinn’s plane miraculously spotted them. For every man that survived, however, three other men perished in their grueling struggles to stay alive. The rescue story of USS Indianapolis has been a passion for Jane ever since her dad’s passing three decades ago. She has been actively involved in projects related to the legacy of USS Indianapolis since 2008. As Chair of the USS Indianapolis/Gwinn "Angel" Scholarship Endowment Fund and a founding member of the non-profit USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Legacy Organization, Jane has served in various roles to promote and perpetuate the story of the ship and her crew. Her dedication has been recognized by the ship’s survivors' organization, who had named her father an Honorary Survivor in 1960 and granted Jane the same honor in 2018. A serendipitous conversation with the brother of one of the African-American sailors who had perished in the sinking helped her realize how little she and others familiar with Indianapolis’s story actually knew of the diversity of the crew. Many books have been written about USS Indianapolis, but not one ever mentioned black sailors by name. There were no African Americans among the survivors, but she was adamant that their names and contributions shouldn’t be lost. She made a commitment to learn and share their stories. She convinced the Legacy Organization that an important part of Indy's story hadn’t received recognition, and followed up by organizing and leading an ad-hoc effort that included family members of the Steward's Mates who served on the final sailing crew. Arlene Taylor, Janice Alston, Jeanette Pitts, Jacqueline Dugan, and Ernestine Peete answered the call to bring these men out of the shadows. It’s a realization of a long-awaited dream for the families of the 28 African American sailors and a revelation to USS Indianapolis’s legacy.

Arlene was one of the first family members to join the research efforts for this book. Her uncle had served on the ship from April 15, 1944 – July 30, 1945. At 38 years of age, he was one of the oldest men on the crew. Arlene had learned of her uncle’s service on the ship from her mother, who had kept mementos of his military accomplishments. He had participated in the last five of ten battles in which USS Indianapolis earned Battle Stars. Arlene’s questions of “What did he do on the ship?”, “Where were they when the torpedoes hit?”, and “What was life aboard the ship like?” helped us humanize the experience of these sailors. Her experience as a former educator provided a focus for our efforts.

Janice Alston (Lambert), niece of Arlene, is the genealogy wiz of her family. Her extensive research and relentless dedication were instrumental in uncovering the stories of not only her uncle but also many other crew members whose histories had been lost to time. When we started this project, we had not been able to confirm her uncle’s birthdate or hometown. Janice’s enthusiasm and research skills not only provided the missing information on her uncle but filled in such details for numerous other sailors we were searching for. Her contributions have been invaluable, ensuring that the legacy of these brave men is preserved for future generations. Her determination and sense of humor brought a unique energy to our monthly Zoom meetings, making the challenging work both productive and enjoyable.

Although she never met him personally, Jeanette has always known Albert Rice as “Uncle Bud”. Her dad was 13 years old when his beloved brother Albert died in the sinking of USS Indianapolis at age 20. The two brothers were so close that Dr. Pitts vowed to keep his memory alive and made sure that his own children would know their uncle. Reflecting on her own blessings of having grown up aware of this history, Jeanette was steadfast in making sure that the research in this book was factual, well-documented, and focused on the underlying sense of responsibility to “do right by these African-American crewmen who have previously been ignored.” She wrote, “I think of the other descendants of these men and long for them to one day recognize and take pride in their relative’s service. This story is for them. But it is also for the non-African-American sailors aboard Indianapolis, who because of the ugly prejudices of the day were precluded from knowing their fellow crewmen.”

Jacqueline’s family ties are strong. She was aware that her uncle, Magellan Williams, had served on the ship, but neither her mother nor her aunt had wanted to speak of it. Every generation knew of the loss they had suffered in their family when Magellan died at only 21 years old. They buried their pain for a long time. Jacque was excited to join the collaboration to try to get answers the family had been grappling with. She hoped for some closure, not just for her family, but for all those who lost sons, fathers, brothers, and like her, uncles. She found the process “wonderful and cathartic” to work with a team who was so invested in getting the story told.

Ernestine is the sister of Jacqueline Dugan. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, she has successfully enjoyed a long civilian career as an instructor, curriculum designer and manager of post-secondary educational programs. Ernestine's unique perspectives made substantial impacts on this project. She is deeply devoted to family ties. Throughout our project, she and her sister Jacque continued to share our findings with their parents, delicately creating opportunities for them to share their experiences in turn. It was through Ernestine’s video interviews with her father, Ernest Pledger, a WWII Navy veteran, that we learned more of recruitment, bootcamp and duty experiences. Ernestine’s colleagues at Tennessee Applied College of Technology provided the impactful cover design of Heroes in the Shadows.

A graduate of Annapolis, Captain William Toti, USN (Ret.), served for more than 26 years on active duty in the United States Navy, including three tours on the submarine USS Indianapolis SSN-697, ultimately becoming the captain of the namesake sub. In the later years of his naval career, he served as commodore of Submarine Squadron 3 in Pearl Harbor, and finally commanding officer of Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare Command Norfolk. Captain Toti is most proud of his effort in 1998 to join forces with the Indy survivors to help clear the name of the cruiser’s captain, Charles B. McVay III. Bill is an honorary survivor of USS Indianapolis Survivors Organization. He has been featured on numerous documentaries about Indianapolis. Bill served more than 9 years at the Pentagon After retiring from the Navy, Bill served more than fifteen years in industry, and recently published a book titled From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership. Bill has contributed to the success of the USS Indianapolis (CA) Legacy Organization, having recently served as its chairman (2022-2024). Currently, Bill is a co-host of “The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War” podcast.

Commander Philpot’s father served in the U.S. Navy in 1946, shortly after WWII had ended and restricted roles for African Americans persisted. He has witnessed first-hand the changes over the years. Philpot joined the Navy in 1970, where he served nearly 25 years performing various sea and shore duty assignments. Since leaving the Navy, he became Chairman and Project Director of the Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee, a nonprofit 501c3. His work has focused on spearheading fundraising, development and coordination of design and construction of seven monuments on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which enhance recognition and awareness of African American military units and individuals who served this country. Among the monuments he is most proud is the one honoring General Colin L. Powell, the first Black Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State. His most recent accomplishment is the monument honoring the predominantly Black Women Army Corps (WAC) unit of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion deployed overseas in WWII. Philpot also is credited with the campaign to obtain the first Buffalo Soldier Commemorative Stamp in 1994 and the “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021.