Memorial graveside service for Robert “Bob” A. Perdue, 75 of Madison, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 6 at Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne. Military rites will be conducted by the American Legion Post 43, V.F.W. Post 5291 of Wayne, and the United States Air Force Honor Guard.
Memorials may be given to the family.
Bob died on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 at the Countryside Nursing Home in Madison.
Stonacek Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Bob was born in Wakefield June 22, 1949 to Allan and Hannah (Mills) Perdue, where they lived on a family farm outside of town until 1951 when the family moved to Wayne. The family kept the farm even after they moved to Wayne and after eight years moved back to the farm. They only stayed at the farm for a couple years where Bob attended District 68 country school until his mother began teaching in Laurel. In 1961 the family moved to Laurel where Bob eventually attended and graduated high school in 1967. Following high school Bob attended technical school in Lincoln for one year.
In 1969 Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force to fight in the Vietnam War. After enlisting, Bob went to Basic training, followed by specialized training to service one and two engine jet aircraft. Upon completion of his training, Bob was given the specialty number of 4315c Aircraft Maintenance Specialist and was promoted to the rank of E-4 Sergeant.
After his training was complete, Bob was assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing on Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Korat Thailand. It was here where Bob primarily serviced the F-105 Thunderchief fighter jet and was a member of the now famous “Wild Weasel” program, also known as “The Suicide Mission”, who adopted the official motto of YGBSM (You Gotta Be Shi**** Me).
The Wild Weasels were a small unit of Air Force officers who flew specialty fighter jets loaded with specialized equipment into North Vietnam and destroy the North Vietnamese anti-aircraft defense systems beginning in 1965. Wild Weasel was one of the most dangerous bombing missions during the Vietnam war and many pilots lost their lives, most of whom Bob would have known personally. Due to the success of the Wild Weasel program during Bob’s time the program continues to this day, although with much more sophisticated technology to help aid and protect pilots.
After serving four years in the USAF, Bob was honorably discharged in 1973. During his time in the air force, Bob was awarded the NDSM, VSM, RVCM, and the AFGCM. Bob never got over his time in the war however, having felt what too many Vietnam veterans felt following their time in the military. He didn’t speak about what he did or what his experiences were with anyone who hadn’t experienced it themselves. To make someone else feel the burden he felt was too much for him to bear.
Following his return from the war Bob traveled around the country with his brother doing the things he loved most: Roaming around free, being outdoors, hunting, fishing, and photography. Eventually Bob returned home and then moved to Madison, where he put down permanent roots and lived for the remainder of his life.
While in Madison, Bob worked for the city as a utility lineman. He ran much of the power to the rural areas of Madison County, helped to maintain the city diesel generators, maintained the city pool and auditorium, among many other things during his career. He retired from the city in 2015 at the age of 66.
Bob had one child: his son Greg, born in 1985. Much of Bob’s life centered around his son and he often referred to Greg as being the best part of his life. Following the divorce from Greg’s mom, Bob chose to purchase a house two blocks away from Greg so they could spend as much time together as possible. On Saturdays and Mondays, they watched wrestling and football every week, would target shoot with the bow in the backyard, go to movies nearly every weekend, and shoot BB guns in the house in a makeshift shooting range down his hallway.
Bob knew nearly everything a person could about electronics, though he often would pretend he didn’t. Bob was able to service everything from sub-stations that distribute power through cities down to low voltage devices like radios and televisions, as well as anything in between. Bob would often “find” little projects around the house for Greg to “fix”, such as a broken jack on the TV, or bad tape heads on the VCR, a radio that somehow lost its tuner, an outlet that “just didn’t work anymore”, or a light switch that “must have gone bad”, where Bob would teach Greg how to make the repairs himself. Bob did this throughout most of Greg’s life with several things.
When Bob wasn’t spending time with Greg he was a member of a local bowling team, something he enjoyed immensely and looked forward to each time he went. He loved to hunt and fish with his brother, nephew, and family friends, never seeming happier than after a weekend in the field or in a tree stand. Bob loved to travel, by car, and spend time in museums. He had a fascination with American history and had to see the locations for himself. At museums, he had to read everything and loved to talk about the information he learned with likeminded individuals.
Bob is survived by his son’s family Greg Perdue and his wife Jennifer Walcutt; his sister’s family Patricia and Lyle Geiger and son Thomas Geiger; his brother’s family William and Cheri Perdue along with their son’s family Jeff and Jenae Perdue along with their two children and their daughter’s family Cori and Chris Schmid along with their two children.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Allan and Hannah.
Condolences can also be expressed to the family online at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.
