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Hunter Alan Scott (born June 9 1985) is best known for the research he did regarding the USS Indianapolis. He studied economics and physics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Naval ROTC scholarship, and graduated in May 2007.
Scott is originally from Pensacola, Florida and is an alumnus of Pensacola High School. When he was age 12, he had to do a National History Day project. He chose the subject of the USS Indianapolis because it came up in the film Jaws. Interested in the subject, he went with his father, who was also the assistant principal of his school, to a university library. There was no information on the USS Indianapolis. Scott continued with his research anyway, and finally finished his project. It went up to the state finals but was rejected. Despite this rejection, Scott went on to the US Congress with survivors of the USS Indianapolis to argue that Capt. Charles Butler McVay III was innocent.
The efforts of Scott received national media attention. This, combined with the diligence of the Indianapolis Survivors Organization, resulted in passage of a Congressional resolution [1] in October of 2000, which was also signed by President Clinton.
In his testimony before Congress, young Scott stated:
This is Captain McVay's dog tag from when he was a cadet at the Naval Academy. As you can see, it has his thumbprint on the back. I carry this as a reminder of my mission in the memory of a man who ended his own life in 1968. I carry this dog tag to remind me that only in the United States can one person make a difference no matter what the age. I carry this dog tag to remind me of the privilege and responsibility that I have to carry forward the torch of honor passed to me by the men of the USS Indianapolis. [2]
Hunter Scott was subsequently featured in George as "one of the most intriguing political figures" of the year. In 2004, Scott spoke at events surrounding the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C..
A film about Hunter Scott is to be directed by J. J. Abrams and is anticipated to be released in 2009.
References
- Peter Nelson Left for Dead ISBN 0-385-72959-6 (preface by Hunter Scott)