WW2 Fallen - Leland Clinton, USS Indianapolis, and shipmate Harlan Twible who lived to be 96

Leland Clinton was a lieutant (jg) on the fateful final mission of the cruiser USS Indianapolis.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8775267/leland-jack-clinton
https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/nation-now/uss-indianapolis-historians-resolve-mystery-of-how-many-men-died-in-1945-attack/465-c7719be9-2182-4d0c-9fdb-85de6f7bf9ef

Leland Jack Clinton never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

Leland was born on December 29, 1918 in Coos County, Oregon. His parents Theodore and Mable were also born in Oregon. His father worked as a dairy farmer, timberman, and a manager in the logging industry. He had one younger sister. In 1940, Leland was living at home with his parents in Coquille, Oregon and working in a logging camp. He also attended Oregon State College. He married his wife Margaret around 1941.

Leland enlisted in the US Naval Reserve on March 31,1943 and served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis. In July 1945, the Indianapolis was assigned a top-secret mission to deliver parts and enriched uranium for an atomic bomb, later to be dropped on Hiroshima, to the American base on the pacific island of Tinian. After completing the delivery on July 26, the Indianapolis departed Tinian and was to sail for Leyte in the Philippines to join up with a task force headed for Okinawa. Sadly, the Indianapolis would never reach Leyte.

On the night of July 30, 1945 Lt. (junior grade) Clinton and Ensign Harlan Twible were standing watch in the aft crow’s nest eighty feet above the ship’s main deck. Heavy clouds obscured the moonlight, so it was nearly pitch black. They were due to be relieved at midnight, but as the hour approached there was no sign of the new watch officers. LTJG Clinton instructed ENS Twible to remain on watch and went below deck to locate their replacements. Shortly after midnight, the Indianapolis was struck on the starboard side by two torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-58, one that blew off a portion of the ship’s bow and one that exploded closer to midships.

The Indianapolis suffered massive damage and immediately began to settle by the bow, and rolled over and sank only twelve minutes after the torpedoes struck. Around 300 of the crew of 1,195 were trapped below decks and went down with the ship, likely including LTJG Clinton. The remaining 900 went into the water, many without lifejackets or in lifeboats, where over the next few days almost 600 men died from drowning, shark attacks, dehydration or injuries from the explosion. Ultimately, 316 of the ship’s crew were rescued.

Perhaps because he remained in the crow’s nest instead of LTJG Clinton, ENS Twible survived the sinking. He and his surviving shipmates spent 4 days and 5 nights in the water, with almost no fresh water or survival gear. During this time, despite injuries he suffered in the ship’s destruction, ENS Twible constantly aided the men in his group, maintaining order among them, ministering to their needs, and preventing half-crazed and injured men from leaving the safety of the group; actions for which the Navy later awarded him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. 

Harlan Twible
https://donmooreswartales.com/2012/05/30/harlan-twible/

Leland Jack Clinton is memorialized in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines and in Norway Cemetery in Coos County, Oregon. His wife remarried in 1948 and died in 1995. Harlan Twible passed away in April of this year.

Thank you Leland for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Leland.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."

Last year on this date I profiled C-46 copilot Herbert Evans. You can read about Herbert here.

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