Name: John Nelson DIMOND
Rank / Rating: S1-Seaman First Class
Service #: 951 56 30
DOB: Nov 19, 1925
From: Charlotte, Michigan
Parents: Walter and Flossie Dimond
Went Aboard: April 26, 1944
Age When Ship Went Down: 19 years, 8 months, 11 days
Spouse:
Children:
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Bio was written by Flossie Dimond and submitted to Project888.org by her grandson, Jim Dimond (Nephew of LAS John Dimond). Appendix written by Carl Fahnestock (Admin).
Date Posted:

John Nelson Dimond, seaman 1/c was born November 19, 1925, to the late Walter and Flossie Dimond, and lost his life as a result of enemy action while in service for his country July 30, 1945, at the age of 19 years, 8 months and 11 days.

John attended church and Sunday school at the Gospel Tabernacle until 1935, and then he attended the United Brethren Church. He attended Charlotte High School until entering the service. He was newsboy for the Lansing State Journal for two years. He also worked at the Kroger Store and with the Morning Star, as carrier and mimeograph operator. He was with the Wilcox-Gay Corporation when he entered the service. John entered the service of his country January 28, 1944, and received his boot training at Camp Hill, Farragut, Idaho. He was on boot leave March 14th until March 29, 1944, after which he was sent to Shoemaker, California, and from there to Treasure Island, where he was put on board the USS Indianapolis, April 26, 1944, and sent to the Pacific theater of war. He was on duty at Pearl Harbor, Marshall Islands, Mariannas, Palau, Admiralty Islands, Saipan, Guam and Tinian, receiving battle stars for Saipan, Guam and Tinian. John met his brother, Clyde Allen Dimond, coxswain, September 3, 1944, at Pearl Harbor. He returned home from the Pacific November 9, 1944, returning to his ship November 29th, leaving the states again the latter part of December, when he participated in battles at Iwo Jima, Tokyo and Okinawa. On March 31st he was wounded at Okinawa, when an enemy suicide plane crashed into his ship. At that time nine lives were lost and twenty men were wounded. John was taken aboard the U.S.S. Solace, hospital ship, and taken to a naval hospital on Guam where he underwent the amputation of his left fifth toe. At this time Admiral Raymond A. Spruance was aboard the ship. He received the Purple heart on April 3, 1945 in appreciation of the splendid performance of his duty even at the risk of personal injury to himself. He came home June 11, 1945, for a short rest, returning to San Francisco, California, July 2nd. He then spent two days with his brother, James Ralph Dimond, seaman 1/c, at Port Chicago, California. After that he returned to his ship and after going on a shake-down cruise, left the United States, July 16, 1945, with a crew of 1,195 officers and men, on a high-speed run to Pearl Harbor, on which they set a new record for fast time. From there, they headed for Tinian where they left the first atomic bomb. They went to Guam the next day, leaving there for Leyte that afternoon. About two days out from Guam, they were hit by a Jap torpedo at twelve minutes past twelve midnight. This disaster occurred just fourteen days before the end of the war. The USS Indianapolis, the flagship of the Fifth Fleet and Queen of the Pacific, had also served with Haley’s mighty Third Fleet. She was commissioned in 1932 and was assigned to special duty with the late President Roosevelt. She was the pride of all her crew. John leaves to mourn their loss: his mother, Mrs. Flossie Dimond; one sister, Mrs. Mildred Tomlinson of Charlotte; six brothers, Frank and Max Milbourne of Charlotte; Private Allison Milbourne, Camp Claibourne, Louisiana; Pfc. Arlie B. Dimond, Shanghai, China; James R. Dimond, S1/c, Port Chicago, California; Clyde A. Dimond, coxswain, who is home from Pacific duty; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wood of Charlotte; two nieces, five nephews and aunts and uncles, besides a host of friends. John had one brother-in-law in the service; T/Sgt. William M. Tomlinson, Boise, Idaho. A TRIBUTE TO OUR JOHNNY Duty called and he was there To do his best and take his share; His heart was good, his spirit brave, And his resting place found a sailor’s grave. From our happy home and circle God has taken one we loved; He is borne away from sin and sorrow To a nobler rest above. No one knows how much we miss him, None but aching hearts can tell; Lost on earth but found in heaven, Jesus doeth all things well. Mother and Family and Grandparents ADDITIONAL PHOTOS The additional photos section below presents a beautiful collection of historic photos which were all submitted by John's nephew (Jim Dimond). From top to bottom (and left to right), a chronological ordering of sixteen (16) photos presents John's parents (Flossie and Walter) and his life, family and friends from the 1920s thru his service aboard USS Indianapolis. These photos are followed by multiple pictures of a New Testament Bible that was given to John when he joined the U.S. Navy. Please take note of the message written on a dedication page by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Finally, there are two photos taken from John's High School Yearbook. APPENDIX What follows is a look back at the details of the tragic and emotional experiences that Mrs. Flossie Dimond (John’s mother) faced through the trauma of losing her son during the latter days of World War II: Flossie Dimond experienced an emotional roller coaster ride in 1945. This began for her when she received a handwritten letter from John, dated April 6, 1945. John shared that “he had been wounded in the foot but that she should not worry because he was not hurt bad and will be up and around in no time at all”. John’s letter was followed by an April 10th letter from Father Thomas Conway (the chaplain aboard Indianapolis) who advised her that John had been wounded and “Your son’s injury consists of a traumatic amputation of his left fifth toe. It was classified as serious, however he responded very well to treatment”. Conway also shared that John was awarded a Purple Heart. Despite the reassuring letters from John and Chaplain Conway, Flossie also received an "official" telegram from Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs, Washington, DC dated April 20th. The tone of the telegram was somber: “THE NAVY DEPARTMENT DEEPLY REGRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON JOHN NELSON DIMOND SEAMAN SECOND CLASS HAS BEEN WOUNDED IN ACTION ... HIS PROGNOSIS SERIOUS. THE DEPARTMENT APPRECIATES YOUR GREAT ANXIETY BUT EXTENT OF WOUNDS NOT NOW AVAILABLE AND DELAY IN RECEIPT OF DETAILS MUST NECESSARILY BE EXPECTED BUT WILL BE FURNISHED YOU PROMPTLY IF RECEIVED. Most certainly, Flossie would have been anxious to receive subsequent notification regarding the progress of John’s recovery. However, It would be another month before she received more “official” information. That subsequent notification came over one month later. In an “official” letter dated May 25th from Lieutenant W. J. McNicol, she was advised: IT IS WITH DEEPEST REGRET YOU ARE INFORMED THAT HIS INJURIES NECESSITATED THE AMPUTATION OF THE FIFTH TOE, LEFT FOOT. THE NAVY DEPARTMENT EXTENDS ITS SYMPATHY IN THE GRIEF AND DISTRESS WHICH THIS REPORT CAUSES YOU.. This May 25th letter provided NO additional information to Flossie than what Chaplain Conway's April 10th letter had provided 35 days earlier. However, Flossie still hadn’t received an update on his health status! On June 11th, John arrived home in Michigan for an extended leave. Another “official” letter again from Lieutenant W.J. McNicol, dated June 22nd , was received by Flossie, (presumably while John was actually at his home with Flossie). This letter was an “Identical/Exact Duplicate” of the May 25th letter. The letter provided NO additional information and again stated: “ IT IS WITH DEEPEST REGRET YOU ARE INFORMED THAT HIS INJURIES NECESSITATED THE AMPUTATION OF THE FIFTH TOE, LEFT FOOT. THE NAVY DEPARTMENT EXTENDS ITS SYMPATHY IN THE GRIEF AND DISTRESS WHICH THIS REPORT CAUSES YOU.. Obviously, Flossie’s emotional turmoil of the past three months (since the kamikaze attack on March 31st) were relieved by her having seen John in person while he was on leave in June 1945. John remained on leave with his mother in Michigan until his July 2nd return to California where he would then meet his brother James (a Seaman 2nd class serving in California) on July 3-4. Flossie was aware of John’s return to California and her life returned to normal with the knowledge that he was back onboard Indianapolis. But, an “official” telegram, dated August 12th, was sent to Flossie from Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs stating: “I DEEPLY REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON JOHN NELSON DIMOND SEAMAN SECOND CLASS USNR IS MISSING IN ACTION 3 JULY 1945. YOUR GREAT ANXIETY IS APPRECIATED AND YOU WILL BE FURNISHED DETAILS WHEN RECEIVED”. While certainly an emotional message that undoubtedly would have initially caused extreme stress to Flossie; she read through the details of that first sentence and relieved her own stress by realizing that John had been visiting (in person) with his younger brother James in San Francisco on July 3rd and 4th. It would have seemed to her that there was an administrative error on the part of the U.S. Navy who had mis-identified the missing in action sailor as being her son John. But, to “completely ease her mind”, Flossie took the next logical step and she personally sent a wire to the Navy to share that her son could NOT have been “Missing” on July 3rd. However, a second “official” telegram would follow, dated August 14th, and was sent to Flossie from Vice Admiral Jacobs stating: “RE YOUR WIRE AUGUST 14. REPORT RECEIVED IN THE NAVY DEPARTMENT STATES THAT JOHN NELSON DIMOND SEAMAN SECOND CLASS USNR IS MISSING IN ACTION SINCE 30 JULY 1945. DATE MISSING IN NAVY DEPARTMENT WIRE OF 12 AUGUST 1945. WAS INCORRECT”. Finally, a month later, on September 17th, Flossie received a 3rd telegram from Vice Admiral Louis E. Denfeld which advised: THERE IS NO HOPE FOR HIS SURVIVAL AS HE LOST HIS LIFE AS A RESULT OF ENEMY ACTION ON 30 JULY 1945 WHILE IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY. Given the emotional “Ups and Downs” of Flossie’s experiences from her receipt of John’s April 6, 1945 letter through her receipt of the September 17, 1945 “official” Navy telegram, Flossie came through all of this and still had the fortitude and faithful perseverance to prepare a Memorial Service for John for October 7, 1945. A look at the four page Memorial Pamphlet that Flossie had prepared and formally printed in the 20 day time period from September 17th to October 7th; is indeed impressive and displays amazing mental acuity for a mother who has been through the extreme stress situations that she endured. The “Biographical Sketch” that was included in the 4 page pamphlet has uncanny and very accurate details of the experiences that her son and his ship encountered over the final months of her son’s life. Flossie was indeed a “very special person” and a “very faithful and loving mother”! More details and a look at the actual letters and telegrams described above can be accessed by clicking on the link to “Flossie’s Scrapbook” immediately below: John's mother, Flossie, created a Scrapbook to memorialize her son John. Click HERE (Flossie's Scrapbook) to view the contents of the scrapbook which have been archived in the "Historical Details" Section of the Project888.org website. 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. John Nelson Dimond'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.