Name: George Harold REINOLD
Rank / Rating: PFC-Private First Class Marines
Service #: 937704
DOB: Nov 11, 1920
From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Parents: Mrs. Ellen Reinold
Went Aboard: 1945
Age When Ship Went Down: 24 years, 8 months, 19 days
Spouse:
Children:
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Admin and Patricia Stephens (Admin)
Date Posted:

George Harold Reinold was born November 11, 1920. He attended Pillsbury Military Academy from 1934-1939 and graduated as a cadet captain. The 1940 census shows George was living with his mother, Ellen D. Reinold, in Milwaukee, WI. Ellen was 35 yo, divorced and working as a seamstress from her home. George was 19 yo, born in Wisconsin, single and working as a "plater" at an unknown business. George registered for the draft on Feb 14, 1942, in Milwaukee. He was 21 years old and living in Greenfield, Milwaukee, WI. He enlisted in the USMC on Jan 29, 1944.

To date, only the following records have been located. His name appears on the April 1944 Muster Roll of the 7th Recruit Battalion, Training Regiment, Marine Corps Base, San Diego, CA. On Apr 8th, George was transferred to the Sea School, Headquarters Battalion, MCB at San Diego. But, he was granted furlough from Apr 8-12th, before arriving. He appears, next, on the July, 1944, Muster Roll of Company "B", Marine Barracks, Navy Yard #128. It seems he remained there through Oct 31, 1944. On Oct 15th, he was promoted from PVT (Private) to PFT (Private First Class). This was a temporary appointment, which was a common practice. Some researchers note George first went aboard USS Indianapolis CA-35 in Jan 1945. His name does appear on the Jan 1945 Muster Roll for the ship. There were 40 Marines already on board on Jan 1st and 16 new Marine came aboard that month, but George is not noted as one of the 16 men. This suggests that George was aboard the ship prior to Jan 1945. The USMC muster roll for Indy for Jan 1945 showing George on board also records the ship's location for the month: 1-2, at San Diego Destroyer Base 3-9, at Sea 10-15, at Pearl Harbor, Navy Yard 14-24, at Sea 25-31, Ulithi Atoll George was lost at sea on July 30, 1945 when Indianapolis was sunk by two torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-58. He was one of 39 Marines on board , but only 9 survived. He was awarded the Purple Heart, posthumously. George's story is an interesting one, as he has no remaining family as far as can be determined. It seems he may have been his mother's only child with no other relatives, and his mother passed away in 1976. However, there is a trail of letters and telegraphs that give us a small window into learning more about him. USS Indianapolis Museum obtained the extensive collection of letters and telegraphs to and from George's mother following the loss of her son. It seems that they were purchased on eBay by the uncle of a staff sergeant at Camp Pendleton who then felt the museum was the most fitting place for the collection to be archived. Through the correspondence, one can feel the desperation his mother felt and see how incredibly persistent she was in finding out more information about his fate and her struggle with accepting that he was truly gone. Through some correspondence with a Judge Advocate in the Captain McVay hearing, it seems she was inquiring about the possibility of Hashimoto having taken some of the men as prisoners. The Judge Advocate replied telling her that they questioned Hashimoto and he assured them that he took no prisoners. There is one piece of information that gave a little insight into George's fate. Sgt. Greenwald, a fellow marine aboard ship, in a letter to George's mother, stated, "At the time of the explosion your son George was sleeping on the top side on the forward pact of the ship with some of his Marine buddies. None of them were hurt in the following explosions and fire so they went to the quarterdeck where most of the Marines were standing by to abandon ship. When the time came they all jumped off and drifted until they had congregated into five groups. I was in George's group with Sgt. Tracy and Sgt. Cromling. There were very few men in this group which made it hard to survive and there was only one man that did, he drifted into another group and was finally picked up with them, he said the last man he saw alive was Sgt. Cromling so George must have passed away some time before that which must have been the second or third day." The Museum committee has maintained his memory through his mother's legacy of letters and feel they have come to "know" him so well. George, you are not forgotten,