Today would have been my father’s 100th birthday. He was an amazing man—a teenage war hero, a beloved professor, a revered Boy Scout leader, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather. This brief biography is in remembrance of him. After spending over 15 years researching his past exploits and adventures for my book about him, At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse, I ended that book with these words: “Dad, I always loved being your son. Now more than ever, I’m honored by it.” Happy heavenly birthday!

The world was a simpler place when Philip B. Larimore, Jr., was born on January 4, 1925, in Memphis, Tennessee, the only child of Philip Sr. and Ethyl Larimore. He was a latchkey kid because his father was a Pullman conductor for the Illinois Central Railroad and his mother (center below—holding Philip aloft) was a legal secretary.

Growing up, Phil was undisciplined and a whirling dervish of energy and mischief. Most schoolwork didn’t interest him; he preferred to swim, hunt, fish, and ride horses. When he was six years old (below left)  his mother took him and some friends for his birthday to see the world-famous Lipizzaners. He vowed he’d get to Europe to see them one day (and he did). On his 9th birthday (center below), on a dare, he and his best friend swam both ways across the Mississippi River at flood stage. His school years became so challenging—to Philip and his teachers—that at 13 years of age his parents sent him to Gulf Coast Military Academy (GCMA) in Gulfport, Mississippi, where he boarded during his high school years (his freshman year photo below right).

At Gulf Coast Military Academy, Philip excelled at military history, strategy, tactics, and weapons, and became adept at competitive shooting, compass work, and close combat. He was a born-leader and his gifts and talents blossomed in his years at GCMA. During his senior year of high school, he met Marilyn Fountain (second from the left with her suite-mates, bottom center photo), a freshman attending nearby Gulf Park College, and would remain close to her during his time in the military. His parents attended his graduation in the spring of 1942 after America went to war following Pearl Harbor (left below, graduation photo right below).