Left for Dead Quotes

“the water. The rafts also afforded them”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“There is no way. And you know it. And if he wasn't gonna be court-martialed then, you made a mistake. And if you tell me that he caused the deaths of those men, then okay, I might disagree with you, but at least you can say the court-martial was justified, but you can't court-martial somebody for a judgement, and then not court-martial everybody else who made errors in judgement, that cost the lives of more men. And you didn't do it." Smith turned his palms up. "That's why there's an injustice here. We should change injustices. Not rewrite history, but change injustices. The man wore the uniform, just like you wore it. And he wore it proudly. And he was one hell of an offer. And he would not have been given that bomb to take to the Enola Gay if he wasn't. And I think he endured punishment that none of us could ever understand, probably, and he paid the ultimate price for it. And we have a chance that he'll never know about, to make it right. Not to overturn the court-martial, just to simply say a mistake was made.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“In 1806, Thomas Jefferson wrote, 'Political interest can never be separated in the long run from moral right.' Fifty-four years after the court-martial of a man who should never have been brought to trial, we are now in the 'long run', and you have the opportunity to do what is morally right. You can set the historical record straight concerning Captain McVay and the crew of the USS Indianapolis. When I started this mission there were a hundred and fifty-four survivors. Today there are a hundred and thirty-four still with us. Please honor these men with the passage of Senate Resolution twenty-six. Please restore the honor of their ship, while some of these men are still alive to see this dream become a reality. Please do not forget about the men of the USS Indianapolis for the second time in fifty-four years.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“Passing a bill in Congress is as simple as writing it up and then getting everyone in both the House and the Senate to read it and then a majority to vote in favor of it; which is to say, it's not simple at all.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“It was going to be easier, McVay knew, to blame him for failing to anticipate the emergency than it would be to conduct a more thorough investigation. It would be easier to simply lay the blame on McVay's shoulders, since captains bear the ultimate responsibility for what happens to their ships.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“When I'm the last guy left," McCoy told Brundige, "I just want you to know I'll take care of you guys for as long as I can."

"What makes you so sure you're going to be the last guy alive?" Brundige asked.

"Because I'm a marine," he joked. "I'm tougher than hell."

"I'm an Iowa farmer," Brundige replied. "That makes me a whole lot tougher than you.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“McVay didn't need to know what Parsons would be assembling. He was told only that he'd be carrying "special cargo." He was to guard it with utmost care, and if for any reason his ship sank along the way, and somehow there was only one lifeboat available, the cargo was to be given the lifeboat. He was told he was to sail at flank speed, because every day he saved would cut the length of the war by that much.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis

“There are reasons for old men to tell young boys about war, and there are reasons not to. Some men feel it's too easy to tell a war story, too simple to catch a young man's interest with tales of high risk or near-death experiences, and too inadequate to leave it at that, out of context. You don't want to make something horrible sound appealing. Some feel there's no way to ever put it all into words, so why try? If you don't want to lie about it, but you can't really tell the truth either, silence becomes the only alternative. Men who survive know the difference between those who make it home and those who get left behind is more a matter of fate than merit, and nothing to take any personal credit for.”
― Pete Nelson, Left for Dead: A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis