HONOLULU — Navy Seaman 2nd Class George David Payne was just 17 years old when a Japanese submarine torpedoed his ship in the last weeks of World War II, sinking the vessel and killing him along with more than 800 other U.S. sailors.
For decades, his family thought he was missing in action. But now the Navy says newly analyzed documents show he was actually buried at sea.
The teenager from the town of Wyoming, Michigan, is one of 13 sailors from the USS Indianapolis recently discovered to have been given Navy committal ceremonies 77 years ago. In response, the Navy changed their status from “unaccounted for” to “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.
Two Japanese torpedoes hit the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945, when the heavy cruiser was on its way to the Philippines from Guam. The ship sank in just 12 to 15 minutes. The Navy estimates about 300 sailors were trapped inside and went down with the vessel.
The remaining 800 sailors abandoned ship, but rescue vessels didn't arrive for four days. Hundreds of sailors died in the interim from injuries, dehydration and shark attacks. Only 316 survived. It's known as one of the biggest tragedies in…
