USMA West Point graduate No. 11346 - Class of 1939
Walter Woodrow Farmer, son of Walter E. and Bertha W. Farmer of Ruston, LA, graduated from Rustin High School 1933. He attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston 1933-35.
Appointed to the U.S. Military Academy by Arkansas Rep. Tilman B. Parks, he passed the entrance exam and entered in June 1935. Walter graduated 12th out of 456 in the Class of 1939. He had an outstanding cadet and athletic record at West Point.
In the summer of 1939, soon after graduation from West Point, Walt married Marjorie Futrell of Ruston, LA, in Ruston, and they had a son, William, born in 1942.
When Walt graduated he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, but requested flying training in the Air Corps. He attended Primary Flying School at Dallas, Texas September- 1939, and Basic and Advanced Flying Schools at Randolph and Kelly Fields, San Antonio, Texas from January-June 1940. With West Point classmates, he was in flying school class 40-C.
After graduation from Advanced Flying School, Walter was assigned as an instructor with the Training Command. Over the next three years he was assigned to a number of training airfields, including Randolph Field and the airfields at Uvalde and Lubbock, Texas and was commanding officer at Uvalde. In mid-1943, he went to Mather Field, California for transition to twin-engine bombers, then was assigned to the 416th Bomb Group based at Lake Charles, Louisiana, and later at Laurel, Mississippi. In February 1944, Walt went with the 416th to Wethersfield Air Base in the U.K. for combat duty in the Ninth Air Force.
In the U.K., Walter was Group Operations Officer of the 416th. He flew combat missions in A-20 aircraft and was awarded four Air Medals. Many of his missions were in support of the Normandy landings. On a bombing mission to Drucourt, France August 6, 1944, Walt's aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire. His bombardier and navigator were able to bail out, but Walt was unable to get out of the aircraft and was killed. His rank at that time was lieutenant colonel. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Credit to Major General Joseph L. Dickman (USAF, Retired), classmate, who provided obituary information.
Contributor James Durham (46994633) provided Service No. O-021749
Note: He had one son, William.
Walter Woodrow Farmer, son of Walter E. and Bertha W. Farmer of Ruston, LA, graduated from Rustin High School 1933. He attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston 1933-35.
Appointed to the U.S. Military Academy by Arkansas Rep. Tilman B. Parks, he passed the entrance exam and entered in June 1935. Walter graduated 12th out of 456 in the Class of 1939. He had an outstanding cadet and athletic record at West Point.
In the summer of 1939, soon after graduation from West Point, Walt married Marjorie Futrell of Ruston, LA, in Ruston, and they had a son, William, born in 1942.
When Walt graduated he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, but requested flying training in the Air Corps. He attended Primary Flying School at Dallas, Texas September- 1939, and Basic and Advanced Flying Schools at Randolph and Kelly Fields, San Antonio, Texas from January-June 1940. With West Point classmates, he was in flying school class 40-C.
After graduation from Advanced Flying School, Walter was assigned as an instructor with the Training Command. Over the next three years he was assigned to a number of training airfields, including Randolph Field and the airfields at Uvalde and Lubbock, Texas and was commanding officer at Uvalde. In mid-1943, he went to Mather Field, California for transition to twin-engine bombers, then was assigned to the 416th Bomb Group based at Lake Charles, Louisiana, and later at Laurel, Mississippi. In February 1944, Walt went with the 416th to Wethersfield Air Base in the U.K. for combat duty in the Ninth Air Force.
In the U.K., Walter was Group Operations Officer of the 416th. He flew combat missions in A-20 aircraft and was awarded four Air Medals. Many of his missions were in support of the Normandy landings. On a bombing mission to Drucourt, France August 6, 1944, Walt's aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire. His bombardier and navigator were able to bail out, but Walt was unable to get out of the aircraft and was killed. His rank at that time was lieutenant colonel. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Credit to Major General Joseph L. Dickman (USAF, Retired), classmate, who provided obituary information.
Contributor James Durham (46994633) provided Service No. O-021749
Note: He had one son, William.
USMA West Point graduate No. 11346 - Class of 1939
Walter Woodrow Farmer, son of Walter E. and Bertha W. Farmer of Ruston, LA, graduated from Rustin High School 1933. He attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston 1933-35.
Appointed to the U.S. Military Academy by Arkansas Rep. Tilman B. Parks, he passed the entrance exam and entered in June 1935. Walter graduated 12th out of 456 in the Class of 1939. He had an outstanding cadet and athletic record at West Point.
In the summer of 1939, soon after graduation from West Point, Walt married Marjorie Futrell of Ruston, LA, in Ruston, and they had a son, William, born in 1942.
When Walt graduated he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, but requested flying training in the Air Corps. He attended Primary Flying School at Dallas, Texas September- 1939, and Basic and Advanced Flying Schools at Randolph and Kelly Fields, San Antonio, Texas from January-June 1940. With West Point classmates, he was in flying school class 40-C.
After graduation from Advanced Flying School, Walter was assigned as an instructor with the Training Command. Over the next three years he was assigned to a number of training airfields, including Randolph Field and the airfields at Uvalde and Lubbock, Texas and was commanding officer at Uvalde. In mid-1943, he went to Mather Field, California for transition to twin-engine bombers, then was assigned to the 416th Bomb Group based at Lake Charles, Louisiana, and later at Laurel, Mississippi. In February 1944, Walt went with the 416th to Wethersfield Air Base in the U.K. for combat duty in the Ninth Air Force.
In the U.K., Walter was Group Operations Officer of the 416th. He flew combat missions in A-20 aircraft and was awarded four Air Medals. Many of his missions were in support of the Normandy landings. On a bombing mission to Drucourt, France August 6, 1944, Walt's aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire. His bombardier and navigator were able to bail out, but Walt was unable to get out of the aircraft and was killed. His rank at that time was lieutenant colonel. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Credit to Major General Joseph L. Dickman (USAF, Retired), classmate, who provided obituary information.
Contributor James Durham (46994633) provided Service No. O-021749
Note: He had one son, William.
Walter Woodrow Farmer, son of Walter E. and Bertha W. Farmer of Ruston, LA, graduated from Rustin High School 1933. He attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston 1933-35.
Appointed to the U.S. Military Academy by Arkansas Rep. Tilman B. Parks, he passed the entrance exam and entered in June 1935. Walter graduated 12th out of 456 in the Class of 1939. He had an outstanding cadet and athletic record at West Point.
In the summer of 1939, soon after graduation from West Point, Walt married Marjorie Futrell of Ruston, LA, in Ruston, and they had a son, William, born in 1942.
When Walt graduated he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, but requested flying training in the Air Corps. He attended Primary Flying School at Dallas, Texas September- 1939, and Basic and Advanced Flying Schools at Randolph and Kelly Fields, San Antonio, Texas from January-June 1940. With West Point classmates, he was in flying school class 40-C.
After graduation from Advanced Flying School, Walter was assigned as an instructor with the Training Command. Over the next three years he was assigned to a number of training airfields, including Randolph Field and the airfields at Uvalde and Lubbock, Texas and was commanding officer at Uvalde. In mid-1943, he went to Mather Field, California for transition to twin-engine bombers, then was assigned to the 416th Bomb Group based at Lake Charles, Louisiana, and later at Laurel, Mississippi. In February 1944, Walt went with the 416th to Wethersfield Air Base in the U.K. for combat duty in the Ninth Air Force.
In the U.K., Walter was Group Operations Officer of the 416th. He flew combat missions in A-20 aircraft and was awarded four Air Medals. Many of his missions were in support of the Normandy landings. On a bombing mission to Drucourt, France August 6, 1944, Walt's aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire. His bombardier and navigator were able to bail out, but Walt was unable to get out of the aircraft and was killed. His rank at that time was lieutenant colonel. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Credit to Major General Joseph L. Dickman (USAF, Retired), classmate, who provided obituary information.
Contributor James Durham (46994633) provided Service No. O-021749
Note: He had one son, William.
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Entered the service from Texas.
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