Just in time FOR VETERANS’ DAY next week, an article about my father was published in Wikipedia. It was authored by James Gregory, PhD, the Director of the William A. Brookshire Military Museum at LSU in Baton Rouge.

I hope you’ll use Veterans’ Day this year to recognize, thank, and honor the veterans in your sphere of influence. As my father used to say of those with whom he served, “All gave some; some gave all.”

You can read the article on Wikipedia here. Or, I’ve cut and pasted it below.

Philip B. Larimore

Philip “Phil” Bonham Larimore Jr. (January 4, 1925 – October 31, 2003) was a United States Army officer who served during World War II as the youngest commissioned Army officer. He participated in several key campaigns in the European Theater and received multiple military decorations for his service including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, and three Presidential Unit Citations. After his time in the Army, he became a professor of cartography at Louisiana State University (LSU). In civilian life, Larimore contributed to geographic education and community service.

Philip B. Larimore Jr. was born on January 4, 1925, in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi, beginning in the 9th grade at age 13. He graduated in May 1942 with honors from the advanced ROTC program.^[1] Subsequently, he enrolled in the U.S. Army’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia, completing the program on December 17, 1942, at the age of 17, making him the youngest graduate in history.^[2] Due to age restrictions, he received his commission as a second lieutenant on January 20, 1943, shortly after turning 18.^[3] He was awarded Boy Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout two weeks after his Army commission.^[4]

1938 – Phil’s Freshman Picture at GCMA

After commissioning, Larimore was assigned as a platoon leader at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. He later joined the 326th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, where he served as a rifle platoon leader and held roles as Battalion S-1 and S-2 during training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Benning, and Alliance Air Base, Nebraska.^[2] He underwent specialized training in airborne operations and demolitions, earning a Parachutist Badge, glider pilot wings, and certifications as a Demolition Expert and an Expert Rifle Sharpshooter. In January 1944, he transferred to the 3rd Infantry Division and deployed to Italy.^[5]

1941 – Phil’s Senior Picture at GCMA

Anzio and the Italian campaign

Larimore’s combat service began during the Anzio campaign in February 1944, where he commanded an ammunition and pioneer platoon tasked with fortifying front-line positions under enemy fire.^[5] He received a Silver Star for his actions in repelling German counterattacks near Cisterna di Littoria in March 1944.^[6] As part of the 30th Infantry Regiment, he earned a Combat Infantryman Badge and was promoted to first lieutenant.^[2]He also organized a mule-based supply delivery system to support front-line troops. Following the breakout from Anzio in May 1944, Larimore participated in the liberation of Rome, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation.

1944 – Phil awarded 1st Silver Star at Anzio

On August 15, 1944, Larimore’s unit participated in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France.^[3]He sustained an arm wound near Saint-Tropez, for which he received his first Purple Heart, and continued to serve without hospitalization. His actions during engagements in Provence, including river crossings under heavy fire, earned him a Bronze Star and a second Distinguished Unit Citation as part of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment.^[7] In the Vosges mountains, he reimplemented the mule-based supply system. In November 1944, he was wounded again, receiving a second Purple Heart, and recovered in a field hospital before rejoining his unit.^[3]

During the Colmar Pocket campaign in January and February 1945, Larimore served as a company commander of Company L, 30th Infantry Regiment, following the injury of the previous commander. His leadership during intense engagements, including the Battle for the Maison Rouge Bridge, earned him a second Bronze Star, a third Distinguished Unit Citation, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the French Fourragère.^[5] He later fought through the Siegfried Line into Germany.

In April 1945, Larimore participated in a top-secret mission to locate the Lipizzaner stallions hidden by German forces in Czechoslovakia. He confirmed the horses’ location at Hostau and identified several hundred POWs, contributing to the planning of Operation Cowboy, a rescue operation authorized by General George Patton to preserve the breed.^[8]

Phil and Chug – a horse he rescued

On April 8, 1945, near Rottershausen, Germany, Larimore led an assault against entrenched German positions. During the engagement, he operated a tank-mounted machine gun to rescue a surrounded squad, destroying multiple enemy positions. He was severely wounded by a sniper’s bullet, resulting in the amputation of his right leg. His actions earned him a second Silver Star, later upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, and a third Purple Heart.^[9] Larimore was promoted to captain in April 1945.^[2]

1945 – Phil’s Captain Portrait

Larimore underwent rehabilitation at Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, where he established an equine therapy program for recovering soldiers.^[9] Facing mandatory discharge due to Army policy on amputee officers, he served as Executive Officer of the Ceremonial Detachment at Fort Myer, Virginia, from May to November 1946, advocating for policy reform. Despite his efforts, supported by notable figures, he was discharged as a major on July 12, 1947.^[5] His advocacy contributed to a 1950 policy change allowing amputee officers to request continued service.

1947 – Phil promoted to Major and receives The Distinguished Service Cross

Larimore’s decorations include:

• Distinguished Service Cross
• Silver Star with Oak Leaf Clusters
• Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster
• Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters
• Combat Infantry Badge
• Presidential Unit Citation with two Oak Leaf Clusters
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm
• French Fourragère
• European Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with Four Bronze Stars & Arrowhead
• American Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal

Post-War civilian career

After his discharge, Larimore earned degrees from the University of Virginia under the G.I. Bill. In 1954, he joined LSU’s Department of Geography & Anthropology, where he taught cartography for nearly five decades. He authored textbooks, founded the Louisiana Geography Bee, and contributed to geographic education. He also served as a scoutmaster for nearly four decades, receiving the Silver Beaver Award, and was active in the Episcopal Church, teaching Sunday school at St. Alban’s Chapel, on the LSU campus.^[10]

Larimore married Maxine Wilson in 1949, and they raised four sons, all of whom became Eagle Scouts. He died on October 31, 2003, and was interred at Port Hudson National Cemetery, despite a reserved plot at Arlington National Cemetery.^[5]

1949 – Phill marries Maxine Wilson

Larimore’s contributions are recognized through exhibits at the LSU William A. Brookshire Military Museum,^[11]the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Fort Benning, and the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1997, he was inducted into the Hall of Honor by the Cadets of the Ole War Skule at LSU. In 2023, he was inducted into the 3rd Infantry Division’s Marne Hall of Fame and, in 2025, into the Army’s OCS Hall of Fame for Valorous Combat Leadership. The LSU Department of Geography & Anthropology maintains the Philip Larimore Memorial Fund to support geographic education.

1999 – Phil and Maxine on their 50th anniversary

A 2022 biography, At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse by Walter L. Larimore, one of his sons, and Mike Yorkey, received a 2022 Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America and was named the 2023 non-fiction book of the year by the International Page Turner Awards. At First Light was also a featured book at the 2024 Louisiana Book Festival.

Phil, his medals, and the book about him

References

1. Larimore, Walt; Yorkey, Mike (2022). At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse. Brentwood, TN: Knox Press. pp. 19–25. ISBN 978-1-64293-959-0.
2. “2025 Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame Honoree,” Fort Benning
3. “”The American Teen Who Became a World War II Hero,” The American, January-February 2024 Issue 796″. calameo.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
4. Larimore, Walt. At First Light. p. 41.
5. Larimore, Walt (31 January 2024). “‘Dogface Hero’: Headstrong Teen Becomes Highly Decorated Young Leader”. Association of the United States Army. Arlington. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
6. “Philip Larimore Distinguished Service Cross”. Hall of Valor.
7. “Philip B. Larimore,” Exhibit, William A. Brookshire LSU Military Museum
8. MilitaryHistoryNow.com (2018-11-25). “Operation Cowboy – How American GIs & German Soldiers Joined Forces to Save the Legendary Lipizzaner Horses in the Final Hours of WW2”. MilitaryHistoryNow.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
9. “”Marne Hall of Fame Class of 2023,” Fort Stewart, US Army”. August 10, 2023.
10. Larimore, Walt (May 2022). “At First Light: A Son of a World War II Hero Shares His Father’s Incredible Story of Courage and Sacrifice”. Today’s Christian Living Magazine. 60 (3): 18–20. Archived from the original on 13 July 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
11. Mercurio, Gabriella (October 26, 2023). “New exhibit honoring longtime professor and U.S. Army Major open at LSU”. WAFB. text. Baton Rouge: Gray Local Media. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2025.

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

“For the veteran, thank you for bravely doing what you were called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do.”

If you’ve not read the award-winning book about Phil Larimore, you can learn more about it or order a copy by clicking here.

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