FARMER FRED E

CW3 Fred E Farmer was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 07/14/2007 at the age of 78.5
Fayetteville, NC
Date of Birth 01/10/1929
Served in the U.S. Army
This information was provided by SSN search 090108

More detail on this person: Fred Farmer Jr.: Triple Nickels veteran dies By Gregory Phillips Staff Writer The Triple Nickels are mourning one of their own. Fred Farmer Jr., who joined the U.S. Army's famed all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion after World War II and before it was absorbed by the 82nd Airborne Division, died at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center on Saturday after a long illness. He was 78. Mr. Farmer endured segregation to become a paratrooper and was a pioneer as a black military pilot and flight instructor. His aircraft once was shot down in Vietnam. After 20 years in the Army, his civilian challenges included helping lead the Cumberland Community Action Program and serving as Fort Bragg's equal employment opportunity officer. Through it all, he was known for keeping an even temper. "You didn't hear him raising his voice in anger. He was always cool and calm," said Cravis Taybron Jr., chairman of the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg chapter of the 555th Parachute Infantry Association. "I would always go to him when I'd get frustrated," Mr. Taybron said. "He'd let me rant and rave, then he would talk to me - cool and calm." Mr. Taybron said Mr. Farmer's mere presence commanded respect. Mr. Farmer was married for 59 years to the former Hilda Harrell. He called her "Val" throughout their 60 years together, an affectionate reference to their first meeting - on a blind date at a Valentine's Day ball in 1947. The couple had four daughters, and Mr. Farmer also is survived by eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Joined Army in 1946 Born in 1929 in Chicago, Farmer left his family and the butcher trade to join the Army in 1946, inspired by seeing a black paratrooper in a victory parade. Sam Council met Farmer in 1948 and remembers being impressed at his having made master sergeant "at such a young age. He was very strong," Mr. Council said. The two men remained close, and in later years Mr. Farmer was instrumental in renaming the local 555th chapter for Mr. Council, the longtime president. "He was an outstanding gentleman," Mr. Council said. "He was a strong man for his family." Mr. Farmer's family will receive visitors Wednesday at Wiseman Mortuary, 431 Cumberland St. A viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m., and the family will meet visitors until 7:30 p.m. The funeral will take place at College Heights Presbyterian Church at 1801 Seabrook Road at 11 a.m. Thursday. The family has requested that donations be marked with Mr. Farmer's name and sent to the 555th Airborne Chapter Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 71555, Fort Bragg, NC 28307. Mr. Taybron said that wish fits with Mr. Farmer's deep involvement with the scholarship program. He said the scholarship selection policy Mr. Farmer wrote still is in use 10 years later, the only difference being that the chapter now awards multiple annual scholarships - 30 this year alone, worth $1,000 each and awarded to students from low-income families. "He was a stickler for education," Mr. Taybron said, "a great man, I'm telling you." It's a measure of Mr. Farmer's standing that Mr. Taybron said his name remained on the chapter's ballot for parliamentarian, even after a stroke three years ago left him unable to serve. His name is on this year's ballot, too. He was running unopposed. Staff writer Gregory Phillips can be reached at phillipsg@fayobserver.com

Burial information: Cumberland Memorial Gardens, Fayetteville, NC

This information was last updated 11/01/2017

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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