It’s amazing how the Lord can bring some wonderful folks into our lives. My wife, Barb, does Jazzercize 2-3 times a week. She loves the dance and even more so, the fellowship. One of the ladies she exercises with is Alasyn Zimmerman, an investigative reporter for our local Colorado Springs NBC affiliate, KOAA. After hearing about my father’s story and posthumous induction in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division’s Marne Hall of Fame, she decided to do a story on him. I thought you might like to see the magic she worked with the story.

Colorado Springs Man discovers father’s WWII story

Philip Larimore set to be inducted into military post hall of fame after story revealed by son

Walt Larimore writes a book after a 16-year-long research project that dives in the details of his father’s time in the military.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE NEWS STORY

By: Alasyn Zimmerman
Posted at 6:08 PM, Jul 27, 2023 and last updated 8:33 PM, Jul 27, 2023

COLORADO SPRINGS — Walt Larimore didn’t know much about his father Philip’s military service growing up.

But on his father and mother’s 50th wedding anniversary, one of Walt’s brothers asked a question that would later lead Walt on a 16-year journey to discover his dad’s past.

Phil and Maxine Larimore – 50th Wedding Anniversary

His dad was an amputee after serving in World War II. “One of my brothers said, ‘Well, Dad, how did you really lose your leg?’ Because he had always told us jokes about how he lost it,” Larimore said.

Larimore would later learn it was around that time a non-disclosure agreement was up for his father. “He decided to talk, and boy did he have stories to tell,” Larimore said.

Philip Larimore was the youngest ever graduate of the Officer Candidate School in Georgia at 17 years old.

Phil Larimore’s Senior Picture – Gulf Coast Military Academy

“They couldn’t even commission him as an officer, because he wasn’t 18,” Larimore said, “on his 18th birthday, he was commissioned a second lieutenant.”

Growing up, Walt would hear a few stories about his dad’s military service. “The stories were consistent, but they seemed consistently unbelievable,” Larimore said.

When hearing his dad’s story, Larimore was most surprised by how his dad wanted to share the stories of the other people he served with, not just himself.

World-Famous Lipizzaner Stallions Phil Helped Save

His dad was sent on a top-secret mission to try and rescue the world-famous Lippizan stallions. Larimore said he had been sent in to see if Hitler had sequestered the horses.

“If he had been found out, he would have been declared AWOL out of the army, If he’d have been killed, he would have been disavowed. But he chose to go on that mission. And that, I think that was part of keeping his secrets.” Larimore said.

Phil and Chugwater — One of the Horses Phil Saved

Days later, Philip Larimore would lose his leg in battle, a month before the war ended.

Walt Larimore said his dad described the situation as “dire”. Larimore said his dad had called for a tank to come in.

“And actually three tanks came in, he hopped on the back of one of the tanks that enter the turret, which is on top , manning a 50 caliber machine gun and as they entered the clearing, where his men were, he started manning that machine gun,” Larimore said.

Soldier on a Sherman Tank manning a 50-caliber machine gun

The gun was fired until it ran out of ammunition. The tank started to retreat and Larimore saw additional snipers. “He either jumped off the tank or was knocked off the tank. I have two accounts,” Larimore said.

“He was firing his semi-automatic gun in rapid fire to kill people that were shooting at him and that’s when he got shot in the leg. He fell in the tank commander thought he was dead. So they actually retreated, retreated back. It turns out he wasn’t his Colonel went in just at dusk because they he wanted to find the body himself. And when they got there, he was still alive. He had put a tourniquet around his leg to keep him from bleeding to death,” Larimore said.

Philip Larimore would return to the states and go through rehab for his leg. He would later petition members of Congress and military leaders to try and continue his military service as an amputee, it was a fight he wouldn’t win.

Phil Larimore, Jr. (far left) and his best friend, Ross Calvert, Jr. (far right)

Larimore would later become a map-making professor at Louisiana State University.

After Philip Larimore’s death, Walt Larimore discovered memorabilia from his father and it led him on this 16-year journey, tracking down people and family members of people his dad had served with.

Phil Larimore was one of the most highly decorated front-line officers in WWII

His dad’s story is detailed in the book “At First Light” written by Larimore.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WALT LARIMORE’S BOOK

Since the book’s publishing, it gained the attention of the 3rd Infantry Division in Georgia.

Philip Larimore will be inducted into the post’s Marne Hall of Fame next week.

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE: Larimore shares additional discovery in writing his dad’s story

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