'A lonely sailor doing his job': Cleatus Lebow, USS Indianapolis survivor remembered

Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News
·4 min read

World War II veteran Cleatus Lebow, 98, passed away Sept 29 in Amarillo; he was the oldest of only two remaining survivors of the torpedoed vessel the USS Indianapolis from World War II.

In total, only 316 out of 1,195 sailors survived the July 30, 1945, attack from a Japanese submarine. More than 890 men entered the water after the attack on the ship, with Lebow being one of about one-third of the men that survived exposure, dehydration and shark attacks while stranded in the open ocean after spending over four days in the waters of the Philippines Sea.

Cleatus Lebow, in wheelchair, is seen at a previous reunion at the USS Indianapolis. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.
Cleatus Lebow, in wheelchair, is seen at a previous reunion at the USS Indianapolis. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

Over the past year, two survivors from the USS Indianapolis have died, leaving Harold Bray Jr., who turned 95 in June as the last living survivor of the attack. Granville Crane of Gulfport, Mississippi, died Jan. 5 at the age of 95.

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Lebow and Bray both attended a ceremony May 18 at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, for the 77th-anniversary reunion of friends and family of the USS Indianapolis crew. Leaving from the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo, Lebow looked forward to meeting his fellow survivor and their families, especially with the passing of Crane signaling that this could be their last meeting between them.

Cleatus Lebow waves to his supporters in May at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home as he departs for the USS Indianapolis Reunion in Fredericksburg. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.
Cleatus Lebow waves to his supporters in May at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home as he departs for the USS Indianapolis Reunion in Fredericksburg. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

"I am really excited to make this trip; I have not seen Bray or family members in years,” Lebow said as he departed Amarillo. “With the special bond that we have, this really means something to meet again.”

Lebow was one of 10 siblings who grew up in Abernathy, Texas. Joining the Navy in 1943 as a teenager, Lebow served on the USS Indianapolis for nearly three years before his ship was sunk. He was awarded a Purple Heart while recovering in Guam and was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2020 for his service.

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After retiring from working for the telephone company after 35 years of service, Lebow moved to Memphis, Texas, where he will be laid to his final rest Sunday afternoon. Lebow had been a resident of the Ussery-Roan State Veterans Home since Feb. 21 of this year.

Melissa Kalka and Lee Persefield escort U.S.S. Indianapolis survivor Cleatus Lebow to center stage by Blanke Siebrecht at the Armed Forces Day Banquet in May. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.
Melissa Kalka and Lee Persefield escort U.S.S. Indianapolis survivor Cleatus Lebow to center stage by Blanke Siebrecht at the Armed Forces Day Banquet in May. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

Lee Persefield, the onsite representative for the Veterans Land Board, spoke about the loss of one of his most distinguished residents.

“He was someone that we truly had to respect, such a hero for the country itself being one of the few remaining survivors of the USS Indianapolis,” Persefield said. “He always wore a smile and was a very humble man. He never wanted to be considered a hero; Cleatus just said he did what he did. He brought a smile to anyone’s face that he met. He was exceedingly kind and very gracious.”

U.S. Navy Veteran Cleatus Lebow visits the memorial to the USS Indianapolis in Indiana in this provided photo. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.
U.S. Navy Veteran Cleatus Lebow visits the memorial to the USS Indianapolis in Indiana in this provided photo. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

Persefield said that his fellow residents had the utmost respect for Lebow, knowing his sacrifices.

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“Having been a part of that Greatest Generation and losing another member of that generation for us is a very sad time,” Persefield said. “He was loved by so many here and by other family members of USS Indianapolis survivors. Our greatest thing we got to do for him was take him to the reunion earlier this year to meet with his fellow survivor.”

Persefield said at the time of the reunion that there was a great possibility that this would be the last time that the two men would meet.

In this provided file photo, Cleatus Lebow, third from the right, visited Indianapolis for a reunion with six fellow survivors of the USS Indianapolis, which sank after an attack by two Japanese torpedoes in 1945. Lebow, 98, died Sept. 29. He was one of two survivors remaining.
In this provided file photo, Cleatus Lebow, third from the right, visited Indianapolis for a reunion with six fellow survivors of the USS Indianapolis, which sank after an attack by two Japanese torpedoes in 1945. Lebow, 98, died Sept. 29. He was one of two survivors remaining.

"It was such an honor to have him with us for the time that we had with him,” Persefield said.

Lebow’s son Jerry Lebow spoke about the passing of his father and the generous outreach that has come from the community upon his death.

“He was one of the last two survivors from the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, and we were very proud of him,” Lebow said. “I feel like I kind of had to share him and his experiences with the rest of the world. That is OK because that was part of his life, and I appreciate everything he did, knowing what he did and the stories behind all of it.”

The USS Indianapolis just off Mares Island in San Francisco in July, 1945, the same month it sank in the Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo
The USS Indianapolis just off Mares Island in San Francisco in July, 1945, the same month it sank in the Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo

Lebow said that he has had so many people reach out to him since the passing of his father.

"I have had so many phone calls, letters and texts about my father’s passing; it has been crazy over the past week,” Lebow said. ”It is unbelievable how many people have reached out to us.”

Jerry Lebow said that his father never liked to be looked upon as a hero.

“My dad always said 'I am not a hero' and that other veterans 'gave as much as I did and more,'” Lebow said. “He always said he was just a lonely sailor doing his job for the country that wanted to go home.”

Services will be held in Memphis, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 9, 3 p.m. at Fairview Cemetery.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Humble hero: Cleatus Lebow, USS Indianapolis survivor, remembered