Edgar Harrell of the United States Marine Corps was a World War II veteran. He was one of the 317 survivors of the USS Indianapolis and the last one to die in 2021. He was also a godly man of God. His survival story and testimony about how God had mercy on him were genuinely amazing. To me, he is an excellent representation of good American Christian men who lived in the era known as the greatest generation. They are like my grandfathers and grandmothers who lived faithful Christian lives in their generation. Like him, many were simple people who believed in God, were loyal to their country, responsible to their families, and stepped up when called upon to serve the country. Whether they were leaning right or left, I do not know. I recognize that they did their best to honor God and live by the Bible amid the chaotic political, cultural, socioeconomic, and geopolitical circumstances at the time. I genuinely admire Americans like him from the greatest generation who made America a great place to live and tried to bring freedom from tyranny to other places. I am not necessarily talking about those in power, government organizations, religious institutions, or greedy corporations, but simply citizens who tried to do the right things, even giving their lives for it. Whether they were Christian or not, I believe that Americans like Harrell in those days generally had a sound sense of right and wrong, good and evil, sovereignty and independence, freedom and duty in life.

Edgar Harrell joined the Marine Corps at 17 in Kentucky because he wanted to do his part in the war. After the basic training, he was assigned to the USS Indianapolis to fight in the Pacific arena. Then, after seeing many battles in Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, he and his group were assigned to transport the uranium component for the atomic bomb that ended the war against Japan. Afterward, as they were on their back to the Philippines to join the battle, their ship was sunk by an enemy submarine. Harrell and the surviving crew spent four days floating in the open sea with no food and water and fighting off shark attacks. After four days, they were rescued by a plane and returned home. He lost 880 shipmates and only 317 survived. He returned home and married his sweetheart, Ola Mae, and they were together for 71 years with three children and several grandchildren. He made it his mission to go around and tell the stories of the crew of the USS Indianapolis to honor them and how God showed mercy to him.

“There’s times when you pray, then there’s times when you pray. And I knew to whom I was praying, and I tell the Lord, ‘I don’t want to die.” I knew that a certain brunette back that was gonna wait for me… Mom and dad… I don’t know what I promised the Lord but, ‘I want to live.. I want to live…’ And may I say this, I can hear Him today, ‘Peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, let not your heart be troubled. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid.’” And I knew that somehow, some way, I’m gonna make it. And I didn’t not have least idea what I was gonna experience next four and a half days.” (Edgar Harrell)

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (Jn.14:27, KJV)