Interview: Captain William Toti, Chairman of USS Indianapolis Legacy Organisation
Captain William Toti, the final captain of the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Indianapolis (SSN-697) and Chairman of the USS Indianapolis Legacy Organisation, spoke in an exclusive video to The Daily Jaws creator Ross Williams about the legacy of JAWS in relation to the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.
For many, the first time they have ever heard about the sinking is in JAWS when Quint (Robert Shaw) delivers his mesmerising monologue on board the Orca to Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Brody (Roy Scheider).
Captain Toti said: “The reason we need to keep telling it is that it is a true story, most learn about the USS Indianapolis story through the movie JAWS and whether that is a good or a bad thing it is irrelevant, it is a fact. And in fact many of the survivors, who I got to know later…never mentioned a thing about their experience in the water after the ship was sunk until the movie JAWS came out in 1975.”
He asserts that linking Quint to the Indianapolis story was a brilliant character development, giving him real motivation as to why he was going after the sharks, rather than just a bloodthirsty fisherman who liked killing things and that Spielberg added a lot of texture to the movie.
The USS Indianapolis speech does not feature in the original Peter Benchley book – of which Toti owns a rare first edition signed copy thanks to his dad who was a book collector – and despite the monologue in the film getting several key facts wrong, such as the date of the sinking, that a distress signal had actually been sent and that not all those who died where eaten by sharks, many would not know of its existence were it not for its pivotal inclusion in the 1975 Steven Spielberg shark classic.
It opens up a doorway for learning more about those tragic events from 1945 and separating the fact from the fiction and an appreciation of those brave men who served their country and lived or died on that fateful night.
When the USS Indianapolis submarine – which Captain Toti was in command of - was being decommissioned, he invited 35 survivors of the cruiser to take part in the ceremony, as they never got to do with their ship.
Two of the appreciative survivors then pointed out to him that Toti was the tenth and final captain of the USS Indianapolis submarine and that Captain McVay was the tenth and final captain of the USS Indianapolis cruiser and that as their ship was sunk by a submarine he was perfectly placed to help them and had a moral obligation to help exonerate Captain McVay.
Toti had not contemplated in being able to help them in any way, but has since helped exonerate Captain McVay, in the year 2000, served on the board of directors’ survivors organisation and continue the legacy of the ship, the survivors, the story and those who did not survive. Sharing stories of the ship and the crew. The correct story
And that continuing mission is now more important than ever as when Captain Toti began his association with the survivors there were almost 200 men, now only one remains.
Captain William Toti and Ross from The Daily Jaws talk about the USS Indianapolis, Quint, Robert Shaw, Jaws and more!
“So happy to join ’The Daily Jaws’ to expound on the story of USS Indianapolis and how it relates to Quint’s character. Nothing had more impact on getting the Indy’s story into the public’s awareness than the movie Jaws.”
Watch interview
About Captain William Toti
William Joseph "Bill" Toti, born on January 15, 1957, is an accomplished American figure, known for his diverse talents and contributions. Initially a naval officer, Toti served as the final captain of the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Indianapolis (SSN-697) and later assumed the role of commodore of Submarine Squadron 3 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Beyond his military career, Toti has ventured into various fields, including authorship and photography. He gained recognition for his pivotal role in the exoneration of Captain Charles B. McVay III of the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) and for his courageous actions during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. In 2022, he authored the book "From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership."
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Words and interview by Ross Williams
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