World War II Honoree

James A. Farr

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Alvin H. Roberts

Relationship

Friend

ENTERED THE ARMY WHEN HIS 45TH NATIONAL GUARD DIVISION WAS ACTIVATED AT FT. SILL, OKLAHOMA ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1940. WAS PROCESSED AND TRAINED BRIEFLY AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO CAMP BARKLEY, TEXAS, FOR INTENSIVE INFANTRY TRAINING UNTIL DISCHARGE; SEPTEMBER 19, 1941, AT THE END OF HIS ONE YEAR ENLISTMENT. REJOINED THE ARMY BY VOLUNTEERING ON JANUARY 8, 1942 AND WAS REASSIGNED TO 45TH DIVISION AT CAMP BARKLEY. TRANSPORTED TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA AREA AND BOARDED THE TRANSPORT SHIP LEONARD WOOD WITH A NORTH AFRICA DESTINATION. DEBARKING INVOLVED A PRACTICE INVASION OF A HOSTILE BEACH UTILIZING THE NEW LANDING CRAFT INFANTRY (LCI) AND LANDING CRAFT TANK (LST). IN LATE JULY, 1943 PARTICIPATED IN THE ASSAULT ON THE SOUTH BEACHES OF SICILY. ENCOUNTERED AND OVERCAME FIERCE OPPOSITION AND SUFFERED HEAVY CASUALTIES. CAPTURED MESSINA WHICH COMPLETED THE INVASION OF SICILY. AFTER A BRIEF RESPITE, BOARDED A LST BOUND FOR ITALY. LANDED AT SALERNO; SEPTEMBER 10, 1943 AND MET ONLY MODERATE OPPOSITION BUT THE GERMANS REACTED SWIFTLY AND MASSED ARTILLERY AND TANKS BEFORE THE AMERICANS COULD MOVE INLAND. WAS INVOLVED IN FIERCE FIGHTING UNTIL HE WAS HIT IN THE CALF OF HIS LEFT LEG ON OCTOBER 15, 1943 WHILE THE SQUADRON WAS PINNED DOWN BY A TIGER TANK FIRING 88M SHELLS. CASUALTIES WERE SO HEAVY THAT MEDICAL TECHNICIANS WERE OVERWHELMED SO HE HAD TO STRUGGLE SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS TO THE AID STATION WHERE HE RECEIVED EMERGENCY TREATMENT. TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE FIELD HOSPITAL, THEN TO ANOTHER FIELD HOSPITAL IN NAPLES. TRANSFERRED TO THE HOSPITAL SHIP, SHAMROCK. HOSPITALIZED AT ORAN, AFRICA FOR THREE MONTHS. ASSIGNED TO THE QUARTERMASTER CORPS PERFORMING LIGHT DUTY IN GUARDING ITALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR UNTIL HIS RELEASE FOR TRANSFER TO THE U.S. SAILED TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ON A LIBERTY SHIP AND THEN BY TROOP TRAIN TO SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. DISCHARGED, OCTOBER 17, 1944. RECEIVED PURPLE HEART FOR THE WOUND SUFFERED IN ITALY.