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Long awaited Purple Heart
By Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum
99th Air Base Wing Public A airs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. —
Julius Farrar’s words began to ll the
auditorium and a hush engulfed the
crowd that looked upon him as they
listened with reverence.
Respect was apparent just by gazing
around at the Airmen who now hung
on Farrar’s every sentence.
As the medically retired sta sergeant
began to speak of his trials during the
Korean War, every Airman in the room
felt the weight of what the man who was
just awarded the Purple Heart has had
to endure.
Julius Farrar, a er six decades, was
awarded the Purple Heart for injuries
that he sustained during the Korean
War at ceremony in his honor at Nellis
AFB, April 28.
“On Aug. 7, 1782, during the revo-
lutionary war, General George Wash-
ington issued an order establishing the
honorary badge of distinction,” said
Senior Master Sgt. William Joyce, 99th
Communications Squadron Opera-
tions ight chief. “Later known as the
decoration of the Purple Heart, one
of the most recognized and respected
medals awarded to members of the
United States armed forces. e award
of that decoration ceased with the clos-
ing of the Revolutionary War, but was
revived February 22, 1932, the 200th
Anniversary of George Washington’s
birth. It is awarded to personnel who
receive wounds in action against an
armed enemy against the United States
during periods of war, armed con ict,
or lost their lives as a result of hostile
foreign forces.”
Upon receiving the award Farrar
expressed gratitude and appreciation
in regards to not only receiving the ac-
colade, but also to the crowd that came
to witness the event.
“It makes me feel really good to see
so many come out that are interested
in an occasion like this,” said Farrar.
“For something that happened so many
years ago.”
Once he thanked the crowd, Farrar
began to describe a portion of his ex-
periences and his role while serving in
Korea during the war.
“My last in-combat during Korea,
up in the mountains, I think there was
eight of us, and that was it,” said Farrar.
“We had communications to the base
50 miles away. My job was to keep this
transmitter working 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. So I slept about ve feet
from this transmitter, and that was my
friend. It was my job to keep it going
all the time.”
A er painting a harrowing picture
for his captivated audience, he recount-
Feature
ed even more trials and tribulations
that the Korean War had for the group
stationed in the mountains.
“Winter-time in Korea was 30 to 35
(degrees Fahrenheit) below zero, sleep-
ing in a canvas tent, and heated by diesel you learn to adjust with the bad food and
fuel,” said Farrar. “That’s all we had.
ere are so many things that you’d like
to have, but we did without. We didn’t
have fresh foods, I recall when I went to
Japan on rest and recovery, I think a er
seven months of me there, this was the
rst time I had fresh milk. I think that’s
all I had was fresh milk, because it was
so good, but you did without a lot of
stu . We had dry foods, sea rations we
called them.”
Retired Sta Sgt. Julius Farrar was awarded the Purple Heart by Lt. Col. Kyle Kloeckner at
Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., April 28. Farrar served in the mountains keeping a transmitter
working 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the Korean War.
3May 6, 2016
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Being in those mountains during the
war tested Farrar and the men he was
stationed with, but even with all these
obstacles the men endured.
“We were out there by ourselves, but
the bad water,” said Farrar. “We lived and
died together, that’s the way it had to be.”
rough this ideology, Farrar and the
Airmen who served at this post endured
and survived so that they could accom-
plish their vital mission.
“Being up in the mountains, you may
think that your job was unimportant, but
it wasn’t,” said Farrar. “Keeping those jets
ying to the frontline, drop their load,
and then go back to the base to refuel. If
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum
The Purple Heart was awarded to retired
Sta Sgt. Julius Farrar at Nellis Air Force
Base, Nev., April 28. On Aug. 7, 1782, during
the Revolutionary War, General George
Washington issued an order establishing
the honorary badge of distinction: The
Purple Heart.
the signal wasn’t on the pilots wouldn’t
know where the base was.”
ough an Airman 1st Class, Farrar
realized early the importance of his role
and the role of his fellow Airmen. While
talking to the auditorium of Airmen, this
is one of the messages that he hoped to
emphasize.
“It’s very important, your job is
important,” said Farrar. “Regardless if
you’re an airman, you’re just as impor-
tant as the colonel or general. We all have
to work together.”
Upon conveying this message to the
group of on-looking Airmen, Farrar
began to talk about his childhood and
what guidance made him into the man
he is today.
“The main thing my father taught
me was honesty, whether anyone knows
about it or not, as long as your honest
with yourself that’s what’s important,”
said Farrar. “ at keeps you at a certain
standard of like, and it keeps your there
the rest of your life. at’s why I’ve always
been able to hold my head up, because
I’ve never cheated anyone, never stolen
from anyone and always been proud of
who I am and tried to carry myself that
way.”
As these words le his lips, Farrar
took a moment to thank the crowd, once
again, for sharing the moment with him.
As Farrar stepped down from the
podium and walked back to his chair, he
was thanked for his service and congrat-
ulated for his award by a long applause
from the audience that was moved by his
words of inspiration.