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WWII 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division Uniform and Medals


B24AT6
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These are a recent acquisition that holds a special place in my collection because of what the vet went on to do after WWII.

 

Born in Columbus, Georgia in 1921 Joseph D. Farish, Jr. soon came to Palm Beach, Florida with his attorney father who had just joined the Florida Bar. Joseph would later attend the University of Florida as a member of their ROTC program, finding himself part of the First Battalion of the UF Second Field Artillery Regiment. Graduating in 1942, Joseph was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the 5th Field Artillery Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, remaining with them from North Africa to the end of the war, ultimately attaining the rank of Captain.

 

After the war Joseph went back to school and graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in the Fall of 1946, and joined his father’s practice in West Palm Beach. Joseph would go on to become one of the best trial attorneys in Florida, handling divorces for names like Pulitzer, Firestone, and Dodge, and garnering the respect of the legal community. He also championed the cause of veterans, especially after making a return trip to Normandy in 2004, even donating the land that would become the veteran’s cemetery in Palm Beach County. Joseph D. Farish died in 2010 at the age of 89, having left behind a legacy of service and philanthropy.

 

This is a special group to me, also an alumni of the University of Florida College of Law, and though I did not know Joseph Farish he helped better my profession in Florida after serving his country.

 

His group includes his uniform, photos taken overseas mostly in Belgium, his medals (including his Bronze Star and UDC Cross), insignia, his commission as a 1st Lieutenant, a history of the 1st Divison, and miscellaneous paper items.

 

A ROTC yearbook photo from 1942 (Farthest Right on the middle row):

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What a beautiful uniform and great story, he must have been quite the man and saw a hell of a lot in the war. Love seeing legal professionals in action.

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