Project 888
Name: George David PAYNE
Rank / Rating: S2-Seaman Second ClassService #: 314 71 21 DOB: Jan 06, 1928 From: Grand Rapids, MI Parents: Went Aboard: May 12, 1945 Age When Ship Went Down: 17 years, 6 months, 24 days Spouse: Children: Grandchildren: Bio Submitted By: Carl Fahnestock (Admin) |
 PAYNE, George D |
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George was the son of George Elton Payne (1907-1980) and Lillian V. Allen Payne (1905-1984) of Michigan. He was born on January 6, 1928.
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| He enlisted in the Navy on February 21, 1945 at Detroit, MI. He was received the same day at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, IL., for basic training. While there he advanced in rate to S2c. On April 23, 1945 he was transferred to the Naval Training and Distribution Center at Shoemaker, CA where he was assigned to USS Indianapolis CA-35 and reported aboard on May 12, 1945 as a S2c. George David Payne was one of 879 crew members of USS Indianapolis (CA-35) who “Lost Their Lives At Sea” as a direct casualty of the July 30, 1945 sinking of USS Indianapolis. In 2021, Seventy-six years after the ship’s sinking, a thorough investigation of available historic records culminated in the identification of thirteen (13) sailors on that fateful last voyage whose names were subsequently placed on an “Accounted For” list. George David Payne was one of these thirteen (13) sailors who was “Buried At Sea”. "It's reassuring that he was found and hopefully he didn't suffer much," his brother, David Payne, said in an interview from Sparta, Michigan. Payne said it was a "shock" to hear the news. He first thought it was a prank because his family always believed George's body was never found. "Survivors said it was terrible to be in the water and the sharks were just taking these young guys and older guys one at a time and eating them, and hauling them under and taking them away," said Payne. "And so that's what we always envisioned. You know, we hoped that maybe if he was on the ship maybe he was killed outright - instead of suffering." Payne, who was born a year after the war ended, never met George, who was the third of 12 children. Payne said his older brother was known as a "quiet, well-behaved kid." (2) The Rick Stone and Family Charitable Foundation researchers “poured through dozens of books and articles published on the sinking of USS Indianapolis, analyzed all of the seven recovery ship’s Deck Logs, recovery ship’s War Diaries, and the recovery ship’s commanding officer’s After Action Reports. In addition, Foundation investigators obtained the 'Individual Deceased Personnel Files’ and other documents from the National Archives to determine possible biometric matches to unknown sailors recovered at the sinking site.”(1) While each of these 13 sailors “Lost Their Lives At Sea”, they were each “Buried at Sea”. The 13 men who by clear and convincing evidence gathered at the time of the Rescue and Recovery process resulted in their being “Buried at Sea” are: George Stanley Abbott, S1- Seaman First Class Eugene Clifford Batson, S2- Seaman Second Class William Alexander Haynes, S1- Seaman First Class Albert Raymond Kelly, S2- Seaman Second Class Albert Davis Lundgren, S1- Seaman First Class Ollie McHone, F1- Fireman First Class George David Payne, S2- Seaman Second Class Alvin Wilder Rahn, SK3- Storekeeper Third Class Jose Antonio Saenz, SC3- Ship’s Cook Third Class Joseph Mason Strain, S2- Seaman Second Class Angelo Anthony Sudano, SSML3- Ship’s Service Man (Laundryman) Third Class Floyd Ralph Wolfe, GM3- Gunner’s Mate Third Class Charles Byrd Sparks, COX- Coxswain Burial at Sea George was one of the three crew members picked up and identified by USS Madison Friday August 3, 1945. It not being possible to bring George aboard for the official Burial at Sea Ceremony he was placed in a sea bag, weighted with two 5" shells and "committed to the deep" by his fellow seamen. Michigan Memorial Plaque See photographs (posted below) to view a copy of a memorial plaque that was dedicated circa 1946 to honor seventy-two (72) State of Michigan men who served on USS Indianapolis CA-35 and who were Lost At Sea. George David Payne's name is listed on the plaque! Per the caption on one of the photos, the plaque was originally planned in 1946 for display at a proposed Detroit Civic Center. The plaque was initially displayed at the Detroit Naval Post VFW #233. However, the plaque had vanished for decades, fueling rumors of theft, being melted for scrap, or hidden away in a private basement. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Jeff Ortiz (nephew of LAS Y3 Orlando Ortiz) and Joni Deaver (cousin of LAS sailor S2c Charles Roof Jr.), this priceless piece of history has been re-discovered in the Detroit Historical Society storage basement in Michigan. One of the photos shows Jeff Ortiz and Ralph McNabb (nephew of LAS F2 Thomas McNabb, Jr) standing behind the very dusty plaque as it was found. | |
(1) The Chief Rick Stone and Family Charitable Foundation, USS Indianapolis Burial at Sea Project, ChiefRickStone.com, 2025 (2) Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193930042/george_david-payne: accessed May 23, 2025), memorial page for S2 George David Payne (1928-30 Jul 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 193930042, citing U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA; AP newspaper article contributed by Jim Boylan (49668495)
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