Name: Charles Gerald LINDEN
Rank / Rating: WT2-Water Tender Second Class
Service #: 655 43 45
DOB: Mar 11, 1922
From: Scandia, Kansas
Parents: Emmanuel and Carrie Linden
Went Aboard: July 22, 1943
Age When Ship Went Down: 23 years, 4 months, 19 days
Spouse: Gladys (Carlson) Linden
Children: Terry Linden
Grandchildren: Amy
Bio Submitted By: Admin
Date Posted: Jul 30, 2025

Water Tender Second Class Linden (aka “Lefty”) was born March 11, 1922, at rural Scandia Kansas. The youngest son in a family of 10, he grew up on the farm and was very adept at baseball and horseback riding. At age 18, he was employed by Albina Shipyards in Portland, Oregon. He married Gladys Carlson of LaCenter, Washington on August 7, 1942.

Lefty enlisted in the Navy October 23, 1942. He received boot training and an additional 15 weeks training at San Diego, then was sent to San Francisco where he was assigned to USS Indianapolis. He boarded ship at Adak, Alaska June 22, 1943. He participated in 10 major battles including the Aleutians, Tarawa, Majuro, Kwajalein in 1943, Truk, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Enietok and Palau in 1944, Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945. Lefty did not survive the sinking of Indianapolis. He was 23 years old. Descendants are a son, Terry Linden, of West Linn, Oregon and a granddaughter, Amy.