Indy Survivors with namesake submarine SSN-697 Indianapolis at its decommissioning
Survivors in ball caps with namesake submarine SSN-697 Indianapolis. I believe this photo was taken at the decommissioning of the SSN-697 nuclear submarine named Indianapolis. The Commander of SSN-697, Captain William Toti, invited Indianapolis survivors to join with the SSN-697 crew to form a "combined" Indianapolis crew at the decommissioning. Later, Captain Toti became good friends with many survivors. The survivors asked Toti to intercede on their behalf with the Navy and Congress and help clear their captain’s name. On October 13, 2000, the Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress contained a “Joint Resolution” exonerating Captain McVay from all blame in the sinking of the ship and the tragic loss of life.