April 30, 1945 — Phil waits in hospital, Hitler commits suicide, and the Third Reich is about to fall
April 30, 2025
List of my April WWII Blogs on “Where were my Dad and his men 80 years ago today?”
May 3, 2025Here are the contents of this month’s newsletter:
- “Get Outdoors!” is my March “Ask Dr. Walt” column in Today’s Christian Living magazine
- My Father’s induction into the U.S. Army’s OSC Hall of Fame at Fort Benning
- YouTube released a video of my presentation: “The Teenage WWII Hero that Bullets Could Not Stop”
- A special 5-part series on my father’s top-secret mission in WWII to save the world-famous Lipizzaners
- A special 6-part series on my father’s heroism that cost him his leg and almost his life
1. “Get Outdoors!” is my March “Ask Dr. Walt” column in Today’s Christian Living magazine
I enjoy writing a bi-monthly column for the readers of Today’s Christian Living magazine. Here is the link to the March 2025 “Ask Dr. Walt” column, “Get Outdoors.” You can find it on pages 22-23.
2. My Father’s induction into the U.S. Army’s OSC Hall of Fame at Fort Benning
Mar 27-28, my father, Philip B. Larimore, Jr., was honored and posthumously inducted into 2025 Class of the U.S. Army’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia. Dad was (as far as the current records show) the youngest-ever and the only 17-year-old-ever graduate of the OCS and the youngest commissioned Army officer in WWII.
Barb and I joined my brothers, Billy (Karen), Phil (Erin and son Holden), and Rick); our daughter, Kate; our son, Scott, Barb’s sister, Sue; long-time friends Paul & Julie Lyons; and the man who led me to Christ over 50 years ago, Rich McGee, for the ceremonies. I’ve posted some pictures here as well as a brief biography read at his induction here.
Dad’s sons, Rick, Billy, me, and Phil
Scott, Barb, me, and Kate
Long-time readers may remember that in 2023, Dad was inducted into the 2023 Class of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division’s Marne Hall of Fame alongside Audie Murphy and Generals Marshall, Eisenhower, Ridgeway, O’Daniel, and McGarr. The last two were his commanders. The Hall of Fame has just placed the plaques of the three in their museum. I bet Dad’s awfully proud to be placed in their company.
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3. YouTube released a video of my presentation: “The Teenage WWII Hero that Bullets Could Not Stop”
YouTube posted a one-hour video documentary about my father’s WWII exploits and heroics titled: “The Teenage WWII Hero that Bullets Could Not Stop: The Forgotten Front and The Youngest Commissioned Officer in WWII.” I made this presentation at the Medal of Honor Gallery at the Center for American Values on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
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4. A special 5-part series on my father’s top-secret mission in WWII to save the world-famous Lipizzaners
One of the neatest discoveries I made during my over fifteen years of research for my book, At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse, was my father’s involvement in a top-secret mission to try to find and identify Hitter’s hidden stash of the world-famous white Lipizzaner stallions. He was successful and this led to General George S. Patton authorizing Operation Cowboy to save the species. You can read the details in this special series that was excerpted from the book:
- April 2, 1945 (Part 1) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 2, 1945 (Part 2) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 3, 1945 (Part 3) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 3, 1945 (Part 4) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 3, 1945 (Part 5) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
5. A special 6-part series on my Father’s heroism that cost him his leg and almost his life
In this special series, excerpted from my book, At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse, you can learn more about my father’s final battle in WWII. It was this firefight that not only saved a squad of his men, but resulted in Dad becoming one of the most decorated frontline junior officers in WWII.
- April 8, 1945 (Part 1) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 8, 1945 (Part 2) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 8, 1945 (Part 3) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 9, 1945 (Part 4) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 9, 1945 (Part 5) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 10, 1945 (Part 6) — Phil Larimore the man that bullets could not stop
6. Top Ten Blogs from March
- Walt and Barb’s Family Update — April 2025
- A proven formula for increased quantity and quality of life
- My father’s induction into the OCS Hall of Fame at Fort Benning
- April 10, 1945 (Part 6) — Phil Larimore the man that bullets could not stop
- April 3, 1945 (Part 5) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- My streaming presentation of “The Teenage WWII Hero that Bullets Could Not Stop”
- My ministry to health professionals started humbly over four decades ago and is spreading around the world
- Letter to a devastated Christian OR “The redemption of a ‘broken bowl’”
- Meet the Larimores (magazine article about our family)
- Walt’s most popular books
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7. Last month’s health, family, and WWII blogs
A. Last month’s family blogs
B. Last month’s health blogs
C. Last month’s WWII blogs
I’m continuing a blog on most days following my father’s exploits and adventures during WWII. Each blog will represent what he and the men with whom he was fighting were doing 80 years ago on the exact day of the blog. Here are last month’s blogs:
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- April 1, 1945 — Phil’s second Easter service while in the war
- April 2, 1945 (Part 1) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 2, 1945 (Part 2) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 3, 1945 (Part 3) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 3, 1945 (Part 4) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 3, 1945 (Part 5) — A secret mission to save the Lipizzaners
- April 5, 1945 — Phil’s amazing ‘helmet trick’ ends the life of a skilled German sniper
- April 6, 1945 (Part 1) — Attacking a deceptively quaint but deadly German farming village
- April 6, 1945 (Part 2) — Attacking a deceptively quaint but deadly German farming village
- April 7, 1945 — The amazing capture of the Bad Kissingen resort and for a fleeting moment the war was forgotten
- April 8, 1945 (Part 1) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 8, 1945 (Part 2) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 8, 1945 (Part 3) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 9, 1945 (Part 4) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 9, 1945 (Part 5) — Phil severely wounded one month before the end of the war
- April 10, 1945 (Part 6) — Phil Larimore the man that bullets could not stop
- April 13-15, 1945 — Phil writes home and FDR dies
- April 23, 1945 — Phil was promoted to captain and is perhaps the youngest documented Army captain in WWII
- April 30 — Phil waits in hospital, Hitler commits suicide, and the Third Reich is about to fall
D. All previous WWII blogs are listed here.
If you want to sign up to receive an email about each blog when it’s posted, sign up for free here.
8. Last Month’s Happenings
- Barb continued her weekly teaching and fellowship with the “Moms to Moms” ministry at our church where “mature” moms mentor “young moms,” as well as her weekly neighborhood Bible study.
- I continue doing my monthly men’s ministry – the first Saturday of each month at our church, the second Saturday with a group of physicians, the third Saturday with a small men’s group, and the fourth Saturday with my son-in-love, Charles.
- Both Barb and I continue to direct our church’s ReEngage Marriage Enrichment ministry. This semester we have 13 couples.
- April 14-19 – for Holy Week we were home and it was one special week. We went to a local cinema on three separate days for the theatrical releases of “The Chosen – The Last Supper,” Monday for Part 1, Wednesday for Part 2, and Friday for Part 3.
- April 19 – Then a solemn and meaningful Good Friday service at our church.
- April 20 – An Easter Eve Resurrection Celebration. It was glorious with a full orchestra and choir. Oh my!
- April 21 – Barb and I hosted the 3rd Annual Easter Sunrise Celebration at The Farm, our local community. It was wonderful.
- April 21 – Then that afternoon we enjoyed our annual Easter Celebration Meal (prime rib and all the fixings) with Charles and Kate.
- April 26 – the grand opening of the first Colorado location of The Milkshake Factory. Delicious.
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9. Upcoming events
- May and June will be media months. The publisher of my WWII book, At First Light, is having a publicity push by the WooGirl PR agency in Nashville in honor of:
- The 250th anniversary of the birthday of the Army,
- The 100th anniversary of Dad’s birth,
- The 80th anniversary of the end of WWII and the birth of Army equine therapies that are today successful across our great nation because of the vision of my father when he was a 20-year-old amputee, and
- The 75th anniversary of military officers with a major limb loss being able to serve the military and the country they love because of a young amputee, my dad, who fought for them, their honor, and their future, instead of personal glory.
- Currently booked:
- May 28 – Daily Wire to publish an excerpt of the book around Memorial Day
- May 30 – Ralph Pezzullo podcast, The Heroes Behind Headlines
- June 13 – taping for The 700 Club on CBN
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10. Past Three Family Newsletters
- April 2025
- A proven formula for increased quantity and quality of life
- My presentation at the Medal of Honor Gallery of the Center for American Values: The man that bullets could not stop
- Dad’s posthumous induction into the U.S. Army’s OSC Hall of Fame at Fort Benning
- Speaking event in Florida and visits with old friends
- March 2025
- My Father’s posthumous induction into the U.S. Army’s OSC Hall of Fame at Fort Benning
- YouTube released a video of my presentation: “The Teenage WWII Hero that Bullets Could Not Stop”
- A special 5-part series on my father’s top-secret mission in WWII to save the world-famous Lipizzaners
- A special 6-part series on my father’s heroism that cost him his leg and almost his life
- February 2025
- Looking for a Daily Bible Reading Plan?
- “Ask Dr. Walt” column in January’s Today’s Christian Living magazine
- Top nine blogs over the last 28 days
- Last month’s family, health, and WWII blogs
- The “Vaccine News You Can Use” column in the Colorado Family Physician journal
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