This is a photo essay consisting of a series of black and white images taken by my father, Frank S. Farmer and his fellow soldiers, in the last few weeks of, and shortly after, the Korean War, in 1953. Dad was a 26 year-old company commander in the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, of the Oklahoma National Guard. He was a native Californian, but the enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers were Oklahomans.

My research is not complete as of this writing, but I hope to learn more about his unit and this period of history. There was some fierce fighting, apparently. My Dad was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for bravery in action. He never told me very much about this period. Shortly before Dad's death in 1991, Mr. Jack Harter, his former Executive Officer, sent a tape containing some oral history. Much of this was "insider" material that only the two of them would understand, but clearly this war was a harrowing and moving experience for both. The main objective was to hold a series of hills against Chinese forces, and to survive and go home. There were a number of soldiers on both sides who did not come home. The U. N. force associated with the 180th was a polyglot of U. S., Korean, and Filipino troops. Apparently, there was a great amount of difficulty in coordinating this as a coherent force.

If you have any information or comments to share, please contact me. In the mean time, please enjoy the photos. You may view them as a slide show or indexed list.

Here are more of Frank S. Farmer's Photos from Korea 1953.

Here is more information about the 180th Infantry Regiment and the 45th Infantry Division, from the Korean War Project.

Many Thanks to Those Who Served.

Best Regards,

Frank R. Farmer

ffarmer