Fred Farmer joined the Army in 1945 and applied to train as a paratrooper. He attended basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Benning, Georgia. He was selected for the 555th Paratroop Infantry Division, which was, at the time, the only division open to African American soldiers.  His first assignment with the 555th was to assist the Forestry Service in combating forest fires in Oregon and Washington State.    Farmer served most of his three-year enlistment with the 555th. Upon reenlistment he was assigned to the 18th Airborne Corps of Engineers, with the rank of Sergeant Major.  He remained in active duty for 29 years, completed two tours of duty in Vietnam, and retired as a Senior Army Aviator.  For his service in Vietnam, Farmer received 34 air medals.

Transcript Number 020 Title: Fred Farmer: Remembering World War II Interviewee: Fred Farmer Interviewer: Jerry Parnell Date of Interview: Location of Interview: Wilmington, N.C. Description: 1 VHS Cassette Tape (ca. 35 min.): sd. col. Series: World War II Veterans Oral History Preservation Project Series: Voices of Experience