Ford Perry of Detroit enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and served as a Private First Class from January 1943 to October 1945. He served in a unit in the Pacific delivering and transporting supplies and troops, going to Midway, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and other islands. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal with four stars.

Ford married Wilma Chapman in 1946 and raised three children: Craig, Paris, and Curt, now a Northville resident. He passed away in 2014 and his family honors his service.