- Rank:
- Branch:
- Home Town:
- Date Of Birth:
- Disposition:
- Family DNA on File:
F1c Purdy Renaker Bedford
Purdy Renaker Bedford was born Oct. 23, 1919, in Harrison County, Kentucky northeast of Frankfort and Lexington. His mother, Naomi Juett Bedford, was a homemaker and his father, Henry Bedford, a farmer.
Purdy, the youngest of three children, enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 1, 1937. He was a fireman first class on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
There is a cenotaph in his memory at Pythian Grove Cemetery in Berry, Kentucky, which is where his parents are buried.
This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.
NOTE: If you are a family member related to this crew member of the U.S.S. Arizona, or have additional information, pictures or documents to share about his life or service to our county please contact us through our FAMILY MEMBER SUBMISSION FORM.