Jonas Perrin *
WWII Pacific Navy vet; survived torpedos and escorted Forces at Iwo Jima, Guam, and Okinawa.
Inducted on February 21, 2022
Jonas Perrin was born on February 18, 1926 in Prairie Greig, Louisiana. His parents were Henry and Letia Perrin and he had two brothers, Wesley and Henry Perrin, and one sister, Edez. He graduated from Erath High School in 1942.
On February 16, 1944 he enlisted in the Navy. He attended boot camp in San Diego, California. Shortly after training, he reported to Pearl Harbor and was assigned to the USS Reno, an anti-aircraft cruiser. In May of 1944, the USS Reno joined Admiral Halsey’s 5th Fleet to join the fight in the Pacific. They immediately began escorting carriers and bombers to campaigns in The Philippines, Saipan, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Guam as a part of Admiral Nimitz’s 3rd Fleet. They subsequently escorted the landing force to secure Guam, a key foothold for the US in the Pacific. The following mission was to escort General MacArthur back to The Philippines. In October, 1944, the USS Reno took part in the battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest Naval battle in history. It is documented that the fleet shot down over 600 aircraft and sunk over 130 vessels during this battle. Jonas manned a 40mm turret mounted gun during combat operations. The USS Reno was hit with a Kamikaze but suffered no major damage. The USS Princeton was bombed during this battle and the USS Reno was tasked with fighting the fire.
After this epic battle, the fleet went to resupply. On their way back to theater, at 2AM on November 3, 1944, the USS Reno was torpedoed by a two-man suicide sub which disabled the ship and killed 46 and injured many others. The USS Reno was dead in the water for three days. After three days, Jonas and his shipmates had to jump ship and were picked up by a Naval Tug several hours later. They brought the ship for initial repairs and then to South Carolina for total repairs and a shakedown cruise.
In May of 1945, Jonas was honorably discharged. He returned to Prairie Greig and began working in the Oil and Gas Industry and raising cattle. He married Hazel Broussard Perrin in October of 1947. They have two children, Carolyn and Randall, four grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Jonas retired with ExxonMobil. He is a lifelong member and past Commander of the VFW and American Legion. He is also a 4th Degree in the Knights of Columbus. He still lives in Prairie Greig and is active in these organizations.
* Asterisk after a person’s name indicates that the person is deceased.