Alfred Naifeh was born on January 5, 1915 in Tipton County, Tenn., to Nicholas Naifeh (1878-1922) and Riatha Naifeh (1884-1970), Syrian immigrants. The middle child of seven, Naifeh was a graduate of Byars-Hall High School and attended the University of Oklahoma in 1937 with a BA and in 1940 with a LLB. He was awarded a Cook Fellowship at the School of Law, University of Michigan, receiving his LLM degree in 1941. Naifeh was a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, American Bar Association, Phi Beta Kappa fraternity, and Order of the Coif, and he was serving as a law clerk to Judge of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals of the 10th Judicial District when he was called to active duty on July 5, 1941, while a member of the Naval Reserve.

Ensign Alfred Naifeh was assigned to the USS Meredith (DD-434) as Destroyer Division Disbursing Officer on February 27, 1942, and on October 1, 1942 he was promoted to Lieutenant (Junior Grade).

During the Battle of the Solomons Islands, the USS Meredith was sunk. LtJg Naifeh worked through the night keeping wounded and exhausted survivors on life rafts. As a result of his continuing valiant efforts to save his shipmates, he was completely overcome by exhaustion, which ultimately resulted in his death. LtJg  Naifeh was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his devotion to duty and courage.

The U.S. Navy named the USS Naifeh (DE–352), a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, after him. His mother, Rathia Naifeh, christened the ship on February 29, 1944, at Orange, Orange County, Texas.

USS Meredith (DE-434)

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Meredith (DE-434) engaged in escort and antisubmarine patrol between Iceland and the Denmark Straits, until she departed Halfjordur late in January, escorting a convoy to Boston. She sailed from Boston for Norfolk, Virginia on 18 February 1942, screening Washington, and there joined Hornet in Task Force 18 (TF 18).

The force left Norfolk March 4 1942 on a mission as secret as it was important, passed through the Panama Canal, and reached San Diego on 21 March. Departing San Francisco on 2 April, the force rendezvoused with TF 16, 13 April and sailed for the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. On 18 April, the United States Army bombers were launched for this first carrier-based attack on Japan, and Meredith made course for Hawaii, arriving 25 April.

Between 13 May and 21 June Meredith escorted fleet oilers bound for New Caledonia, patrolled off Bulari Passage and escorted Tangier, returning to Pearl Harbor. Following gunnery and tactical practice, Meredith departed Pearl Harbor on 15 August 1942 for Samoa, arriving Pago Pago 30 August. Meredith next escorted Transport Force 2 to the Solomon Islands with reinforcements landed on Guadalcanal 20 September, then sailed for patrol duty in the New Hebrides.

Departing Espiritu Santo on 12 October 1942, Meredith, now commanded by Commander Harry E. Hubbard, was underway as part of a convoy with Alchiba, Bellatrix, Jamestown, Nicholas, and Vireo, each pulling a barge carrying barrels of aviation gasoline and 500 pound bombs to the United States forces on Guadalcanal. Two days later it was learned that a Japanese carrier task force was in the vicinity and all ships except Meredith and Vireo turned back. Despite the fact that Meredith was equipped only with surface-search and not air-search radar, Commander Hubbard decided to press on to deliver the critically needed aviation gas.

Meredith was sighted by a Japanese patrol plane on the morning of 15 October, and shortly after midday took aboard the 68 man crew of Vireo to depart the area at high speed. However, while preparing to torpedo Vireo to keep her out of Japanese hands, Meredith was attacked by a force of 38 bombers, torpedo planes, and escort fighters from Zuikaku. In the first three minutes of the attack, Meredith was struck by a bomb that exploded beneath her bridge, destroying all communications, steering control, and gun direction. A second bomb struck the forward port side, and a torpedo exploded below the ready ammunition reader locker, igniting the ship’s pyrotechnics and setting fire to fuel oil leaking from her bunkers.

Meredith fought fiercely, and brought down three of her attackers, but she was struck by an estimated 14 bombs and seven torpedoes. Meredith rolled over and sank in 10 minutes at Lat. 11-53 S., Long. 163-20 E. Of the crew of 261 on board that day, only eight officers and 73 enlisted men survived the attack and the three ensuing days of exposure to the open sea and sharks until they were rescued by Grayson, Seminole and Gwin . Six members of the Meredith’s crew managed to swim to the Vireo, and were rescued by naval PBY on the 19th of October.