World War II Honoree

James 'Jim' W. Farmer, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Corsicana, Texas

Honored By

John C. Burkhardt, SVC MOPH, Chapter 1919, Austin, Texas

ENLISTED AND WAS ASSIGNED TO TROOP E. 5TH U. S. CAVALRY REGIMENT AT FORT CLARK, BALMORHEA, TEXAS. HE WAS SELECTED TO ATTEND CAVALRY OFFICERS TRAINING, FORT RILEY, KANSAS. HE RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION IN 1942 AND SENT TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO TROOP B, 38TH CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION (MECHANIZED), WITH ALL ASSIGNMENTS ISSUED AT THE THEATRE LEVEL; SERVING THROUGHOUT EUROPE, ACROSS FRANCE, BELGIUM AND GERMANY. TYPICAL MISSIONS WERE TO SCREEN WIDE AREAS BETWEEN FIELD ARMIES. ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1944, HE WAS WOUNDED AS HIS UNIT WAS SCOUTING AN UNDEFENDED SEGMENT OF THE SIEGFRIED LINE. IN THE SPRING OF 1945, WHILE LEADING A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION, WELL IN FRONT OF AMERICAN LINES, THE MACHINE GUN ON THE JEEP THEY WERE RIDING IN HAD JAMMED. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF THE ENEMY, SO THEY STOPPED TO CLEAR THE MALFUNCTION. WHILE THE CREW WORKED TO GET THE MACHINE GUN OPERABLE HE DISMOUNTED AND WITH ONLY A CARBINE, WALKED UP THE ROAD, ALONE AND INTO THE TOWN. AS HE TURNED THE CORNER HE STEPPED DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF 400 ARMED GERMAN TROOPS, AS THEY RETREATED TOWARD THE GERMAN LINES. HE RAISED HIS CARBINE AND SHOUTED FOR THEM TO SURRENDER. ONE MADE A SUDDEN DEFENSIVE MOVE AND WAS SHOT. THE REMAINING TROOPS ALL PUT DOWN THEIR GUNS, RAISED THEIR HANDS AND SURRENDERED, WITH NO FURTHER ACTION. FOR HIS ACTION, A FEW DAYS LATER HE WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN AND PUT IN CHARGE OF C TROOP. HE WAS IN CHARGE OF C TROOP THROUGH ACTION ENDING IN PILZEN, CZECHOSLOVAKIA. HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN NOVEMBER 1945. AMONG HIS NUMEROUS AWARDS AND CITATIONS HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART WITH ONE OAK LEAF CLUSTER; THE BRONZE STAR; THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AND HIS UNIT RECEIVED THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION.