The Lyon Family of Martin County, Indiana
Seaman John Raymond Lyon (1899-1918)
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by Carolyn Ann Howard
John Raymond Lyon was born 03 Oct 1899 to Joel Campbell Lyon and his wife, Adaline Cannon Lyon. He was Addie's eldest son with Joel, born in Goldsberry Hollow in Brown Township in Martin County, Indiana. This land is now behind the gates of NWSC Crane, called Crane Naval Base by the locals. I know very little about Ray's life growing up, or why he decided to sign up for the Navy.
Ray suffered a devastating loss in 1903 when his mother was murdered in cold blood by her husband's eldest son, Arthur. Addie's three young children were all witness to the murder. Joel found Addie just minutes later. The Lyon family, however, save for Arthur, were tight-knit. Joel's daughters, Sarah and Gertrude, were instrumental in helping to rear the three young children that Addie left behind.
Indeed, it seems that all the young men in Goldsberry Hollow were close to one another. We know that Joel's second son, Ed, did odd jobs in and around the area, including in Shoals and Loogootee, Indiana. Ray may have learned machinist skills from helping his half-brother with these odd jobs. It may also be due to their father having been killed in the 1915 tornado that devastated the area of Goldsberry Hollow. The house where he lived with his father, nieces and half siblings was totaled because of that tornado.
Ray enlisted with the Navy as a Machinist's Mate (MM) 07 Jan 1917. According to the web site Careers in the Military, a Machinist's Mate had many jobs. Machinist's Mates operate, maintain, and repair ship propulsion machinery, auxiliary equipment and outside machinery. [1] This is just to name a few of what his duties were.
In April that same year, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson requested from Congress a declaration of war with Germany. Thus, the United States entered into World War One. After that occurred, Ray was assigned to the ship U.S.S. Rhode Island. According to Wikipedia, the U.S.S. Rhode Island became the flagship of the Battleship Division 3, Atlantic Fleet. The crew of the ship also underwent extensive training to bring everyone to combat readiness before being assigned to patrolling off the coast of Maryland, specifically Tangier Island. [2] Click on photos to enlarge
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| U.S.S. Rhode Island BB-17 Public Domain via Wikipedia |
This is where Ray became ill. It was prior to the pandemic that began in or around March, 1918, but his illness was certainly a precursor to that pandemic. He got sick while on board and was taken to the Naval Hospital at League Island, Pennsylvania. I have searched on-line for pictures of this hospital and have been unsuccessful. The hospital itself didn't open until 1917, locating itself on the property of the Philadelphia Naval Yard on League Island. As the pandemic continued to grow, temporary structures and field hospitals were built. [3]
Ray died from lobar pneumonia 23 January 1918. He was 18.
His body was shipped home to Martin County, Indiana, and he was buried next to his mama in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Later, his sister Carrie petitioned for a military stone, which was granted.
John's Find-A-Grave memorial is here. (Link opens in a new window.)
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1, “Careers in the Military.” Careers in the Military, www.careersinthemilitary.com/service-career-detail/navy/marine-equipment-mechanics/machinist's-mate. Accessed 20 Nov 2022.
2. “USS Rhode Island (BB-17).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Rhode_Island_(BB-17). Accessed 20 Nov 2022.
[3] “Naval Hospital League Island, PA..” Naval Hospital League Island, PA. - Navy Unit Directory - Together We Served, navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=PublicUnit&type=Unit&ID=22697. Accessed 20 Nov 2022.
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