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7 decades later, World War II veteran from Howey receives Purple Heart replacement


World War II veteran C. Fred Johnson poses with his Purple Heart recently at his home in Howey-In-The-Hills. (Tom Benitez, Orlando Sentinel / May 31, 2010)

By Emily Fuggetta, Orlando Sentinel
June 6, 2010

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS — Nearly seven decades ago, Air Corps soldier C. Fred Johnson was hit by a bomb and awarded a Purple Heart while recovering at an American hospital in England.

While Johnson was still in critical condition, his commander delivered the Purple Heart and pinned it to his pillow. But by the time Johnson woke up, the medal was MIA.

Johnson, an 89-year-old Howey-in-the-Hills resident, didn't mourn the missing award — he said he was just happy to be alive. But now he finally has the Purple Heart he earned the hard way in World War II.

He received a replacement in a surprise presentation during the recent Lake County Republican Party Lincoln/Reagan Dinner at the Mission Inn resort in Howey.

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But the surprise didn't end there.

"I looked to my left, and there's my boy," he said of his son, a former member of the Howey-in-the-Hills Town Council. "You could have knocked me over with a feather."

Perdew had graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., that morning, and the Purple Heart recipient's son wasn't sure he'd make it because no flights were available. But just in time, a pilot offered to fly Fred Johnson to Florida for a small price — a photo of Johnson receiving his award.

Overwhelmed by the gesture, the elder Johnson said, "I had a hard time taking it. I don't feel like anybody owes me anything. I love America, and I love that old flag."

Smith called Johnson a hero and an American success story.

"He's a man among men," Smith said. "He really is."

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