Three survivors from the USS Indianapolis recounted their near-death experiences in Jacksonville on Monday.
The three men, all in their mid-90s now, came to Naval Station Mayport to preview a new PBS documentary detailing their harrowing stories, as well as provide a look into the discovery of their sunken ship 72 years after it was hit by torpedoes.
The USS Indianapolis sank during World War II in 1945. It became the largest loss of life in U.S. Naval History.
Dick Thelen was 18 years old when the ship sank; Harold Bray was also 18 years old; Edgar Harrell was 19 years old.
"We were just trying to survive," Bray said. "Seeing kids my age just floating away and never seeing them again, you know."
"All I had was a K-Pack life jacket and a K-Pack life jacket will not last you four and a half days," Harrell said.
"I saw men gulp saltwater down because they were thirsty; within two hours foam comes to your mouth, your eyeballs pop out, you’re totally insane," Thelen said.
It’s been more than 70 years since these three sailors fought for their lives in the middle of the Philippine Sea, battling heat, starvation, burning oil in the water and hungry sharks.
"A lot of doctors told us you can’t live five days, four nights without food and water, but we did, with 100-degree temperatures," Thelan said.
Only 316 out of 1,200 sailors aboard the ship survived.
"I started in a group of 80, by the third day at noon it was 17," Harrell said.
Each man recalls the person who inspired them to fight for their life.
"My dad brought me home because I thought of him," Thelan said.
"I team up with this older sailor, he was about twenty years older than me," Bray said. "His name was Pappy Golf. He told me what to do and when to do it, that kept me alive."
"I was hoping and praying, I was thinking of this brunette back home who said she would wait for me and praying I would survive but I still had three days left of swimming with the sharks," Harrell said. "That brunette was waiting, we married in 1947, she still waits for me today, we’ve been married 71 years."
The USS Indianapolis only took 12 minutes to sink after being hit with torpedoes.
"You have to fight to live, but all you have to do to die is just give up, and I saw many young men do that," Harrell said.
Modern day researchers refused to give up. They finally found the sunken ship in 2017, providing closure to many sailors.
On Monday, the three sailors previewed the new PBS documentary "USS Indianapolis; The Final Chapter." It will air on TV Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET.
Eventually, the newest USS Indianapolis will sail to Jacksonville to make Mayport its home base.