Who is Cecil Trotter?


    Who is Cecil Trotter and what is his connection to the USS Indianapolis? Well the answer is two fold, first of all Radioman 2nd Class Arthur Cecil Trotter was my fathers first cousin and a crewman aboard the Indy. He was lost at sea in the sinking. He was survived by his mother, father and two sisters. They did not learn of his death until shortly after the War was over. My father was also in the Navy at the time and he learned of the sinking, but not of Cecil's death, when his ship passed through the waters where the Indy went down. They were told to keep a good watch because the Indianapolis had been sunk there the previous week.

    I am also Cecil Trotter, I was named in honor of my fathers cousin. Since as long as I can remember I was told that I was named for my fathers cousin who was killed in World War Two. But it was not until the movie "Jaws" came out that my father seen an article in the paper about the Indy that he actually told me that the Indianapolis was Cecil's ship. Ever since I have had a deep personal interest in the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Indianapolis and subsequent events. I hope to make this site the place to come to learn about the USS Indianapolis and her crew. Most especially I want to discuss the Court Martial of the Indianapolis's Captain, Charles Butler McVay III. I am of the opinion that Capt. McVay was wrongly accused in the loss of the Indy and that he should be absolved of all charges related to the sinking.

    I hope to soon add pages with the facts surrounding the loss of the Indy and why Capt. McVay was charged, the only US Navy Captain in the entire war to be Court Martialed for the loss of his vessel to enemy action. Please come back often to check on my progress, and please send any suggestions or comments you may have.