Name: Ollie McHONE
Rank / Rating: F1-Fireman First Class
Service #: 630 97 17
DOB: Mar 30, 1912
From: Prairie Grove, AR
Parents: James Bunyan and Ora Ruark McHone
Went Aboard: Apr 29, 1943
Age When Ship Went Down: 33 years, 4 months, 0 days
Spouse: Virgie
Children: See Detailed Listing in Bio Below
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Carl Fahnestock and Patricia Stephens - Admins
Date Posted:

Ollie was the son of James Bunyan and Ora Ruark McHone. James registered for the WWI (ONE) draft in Walnut, Crawford Co., KS, on Sep 12, 1915 at age 33. He listed his nearest relative - Ora, wife. James died May 11, 1935 in Linn Co., KS, and Ora died July 29, 1925 (age 28) NOTE: the son/daughter relationship was to the head of the household - James B. McHone. So, these were his children from his 1st marriage to Ora Ruark with the exception of Clarence E. who was the son of Delia F. 1930 US Census, KS, Linn Co., Centerville Twsp. Enumerated April 16, 1930 HH #96 James B. McHone, 45 yo, b. KS Delia F., wife, 45 yo, b. KS. (**Second wife) Ollie, son, 18 yo, b. KS Lena B., dau, 16 yo b. Idaho Eliza J., dau, 14 yo, b. Washington. John F., son, 12 yo, b. Idaho Freeman L., son, 10 yo, b. KS Lucy C., dau, 8 yo, b. KS Clarence E., step-son, 15 yo, b. KS 1940 US Census, AK, Washington Co., Marrs Hill Twsp. Enumerated April 6, 1940. HH #43 Ollie McHone, 28 yo, b. Kansas. Highest school year completed - 8th. He was a Farmer. On April 1, 1935 he was living in Lynn, KS (with wife Virgie) Virgie, wife, 30 yo, b. AK. Highest school year completed - 7th Ora, daughter, 3 yo Bobbie James, son, 1 yo Wife is named "Virgie Mae McHone" in Navy casualty record. Ollie enlisted in the USN in Little Rock, AK on 14 Dec 1942. He arrived at the Naval Training Station, San Diego, CA on 17 Dec. 1942. Apprentice Seaman (AS) McHone was advanced to S2c on Jan 26, 1943 On April 26, 1943, Ollie was transferred from San Diego to the receiving station at San Francisco. He went aboard USS Indianapolis CA-35 on April 29, 1943. Ollie's rating changed on Aug 1, 1943 from S2c to F2c (Fireman 2nd class). His duties changed from the deck crew as a S2c to the engineering division as a F2c where he would help maintain the ship's engines and auxiliary machinery. He did his new duties well and on Jan 1, 1944 he advanced to F1c. He remained a F1c for the remainder of his service on board Indianapolis.

Ollie McHone, Fireman First Class 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. All of these 879 men plus 9 others who also lost their lives at sea as a direct outcome of a March 31, 1945 kamikaze attack in Okinawa, have been recorded as having been “Lost at Sea” (LAS) while aboard USS Indianapolis (CA-35) in 1945. Seventy-six years after the ship’s sinking (in 2021), 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. Ollie McHone was one of these thirteen (13) sailors who was “Buried At Sea”. 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.” 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 Ollie was one of the twenty-eight crew members picked up and identified by USS Helm between Sunday August 5, 1945 to Monday August 6, 1945. It not being possible to bring Ollie aboard for the official Burial at Sea Ceremony he was reverently placed in a sea bag, weighted with two 5" shells and "committed to the deep" by his fellow seamen.