Charles Fred Perdue

Charles Fred Perdue was born February 21st, 1909 in Salisbury, Maryland. Known to his friends and family as “Fred”, he first enlisted in the Navy in 1928. While stationed in Los Angeles, Fred met and married Helen Mae Vinnacombe. They had three children, Lois, Beverly, and Donald.

On December 7th, 1941, Fred was serving aboard the USS Oklahoma as a Shipfitter 1st Class in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was below deck when the ship capsized during the attack and perished alongside 428 other USS Oklahoma crew members. Known on the ship by the nickname “Deacon”, Fred freely shared his faith in Jesus Christ and if he survived the initial torpedo attack, was hopefully a source of strength and courage to the men trapped inside the hull with him.

Fred was a beloved son, husband and father and left behind a loving mother, a devoted wife and young family that waited for years for news about his fate. His wife Helen held him close to her heart and never re-married.

The extraordinary dedication and commitment of the US Navy to its sailors, along with the foresight of Navy personnel to collect and protect the remains of lost service men and women until technology could advance enough to allow for identification, resulted in the return of Fred’s remains to his proud family and only surviving child, his oldest daughter Lois Durham.

Fred will be buried with his wife Helen, who lived to be 92 and waited earnestly to be re-united with him in Heaven. God bless America and the US Navy for never leaving a sailor behind.