Indianapolis

Radio Club

USS Indianapolis

Ham radio on the AIR

Museum ships event 2005


last updated: - 2005-07-21











Survivor Jim O'Donnell & Wife Mary stopped by to help out the On Air Hams and sign QSL cards!...

U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35) Memorial Located at Senate Avenue and Walnut Street on the north end of the Canal Walk in downtown Indianapolis is the National Memorial to the USS Indianapolis. The memorial was formally dedicated in 1995. It is an outdoor site available to the public 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Engraved on the south face of the monument are the names of the ships company and the one passenger who made up the final crew. During World War II this heavy cruiser delivered secret components for the atomic bomb to Tinian Island in August 1945.
On its return voyage the Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Of the 1197 men who went into the water when the ship went down, only 318 survived. (to date 93 are still living).
The (CA-35) was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 15 November 1932. The ship served with honor from Pearl Harbor through the last campaign of World War II, sinking in action two weeks before the end of the war. On 30 July 1945, while sailing from Guam to Leyte, Indianapolis was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-58. The ship capsized and sank in twelve (12) minutes. Survivors were spotted by a patrol aircraft on 2 August. All air and surface units capable of rescue operations were dispatched to the scene at once, and the surrounding waters were thoroughly searched for survivors. Upon completion of the day and night search on 8 August, 316 men were rescued out of the crew of 1,199.

USS Indianapolis Back on the AIR (ham radio) after 60 years.
On July !5,16 & 17th Three amateur radio clubs from the Indianapolis Area put the USS indianapolis (CA-35) ship back on the AIR (HAM radio) for the 1st time since it was sank 60 years ago. The Indianapolis Radio Club, Indianapolis Radio league club and the RCA Thompson ARC sponsored this event that included over 25 hams from the area.

During the event they made 1044 contacts with other hams and 18 of the other 68 participating Museum ships.
30 Visitors stopped by the USS INDY on the air site to visit.
During the on the AIR event we talked to Survivors; W4MWW-Kenley M. Lanter(Thomasville, GA ) and Jim O Donnell from Indianapolis stopped in at the Ham radio site to chat with OTA Hams and our team of operators.

Our radio operations were located just 75 yards east of the USS Indianapolis Memorial ; where we set up 2 complete ham station on the HF bands.
Ops time: July 16,2005-0001Z (Fri eve 7PM)to July 17,2005-0000Z (sun eve 7PM) 48 hours.

This will be the 1st year for the USS Indianapolis as a participating Museum ship.









Brian-W9IND makes 1st contact via CW





















































2005 operators Sked used! Click here for Approx. Ops times..
Thanks to those who helped make this first (1st) On the AIR EVENT very successful:!!!
W9IND;N9QVO;W9KY;WB9DKL;K9RU;N9YM;WY9T;K9XV;N9IZN;W9SU;W9ETA;NZ9J;KE9YA;
KJ9C;KB9RDS;KC9FLB;WA9BVS;N9KT;KE9Y;WB9CIF;KC9GLQ;KC9GLR;
STEVE FINES; DON BRANIFF & W9IH
USS INDY OTA Sponsors: Indiana University, REI Management,Ihets, Thompson (RCA) Ham club, Indianapolis Radio Club,
Maxium Crane. , Indianapolis Radio League & FireHouse Photo Labs.

MUSEUM SHIPS WEEKEND 2005 EVENT Battleship New Jersey PR page
USS INDY OTA "success"!

The Museum Ships event is sponsored by the USS Salem radio club....
for more info click here

Under Construction!

...73's

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