CLYDE R. "DUCK" FARMER
FORMER PRISONER OF WAR

Clyde Ralph "Duck" Farmer was born March 7, 1931 and passed away April 7, 2009. He joined the service in 1948, remained a member of the reserves, was called back into duty and sent immediately to Korea. He was a Corporal in the Infantry, his Military occupational specialty was light weapons Infantryman, 2nd Division Infantry Regiment. He was blown from a cliff by friendly fire and was captured by the Red Army on 18 May 1951. He was held in POW camp 1 at Ch'ang-Song. He was released 21 August 1953, after 27 long months. The Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed on 27 July 1953 at Panmunjom, Korea. I believe that he and Jack Stegall's camps came together to play basketball and both have said how glad they were to see each other. My personal note: Our family did not know if Uncle Duck was dead or alive as the last we had heard was about October 1952. After the Armistice Agreement was signed, Korea began releasing prisoners. One of the television stations would list released prisoners names and where they were from every night. Back then televisions were scarce and the family would gather at our home to watch the names roll by. I do not remember how many evenings we watched before Uncle Duck's name rolled across the screen. I was 9 years old and I will never forget the crying, shouts of joy, jumping, the hugs, etc., that our home experienced that night. He was sent to a Japanese hospital for treatment before he was sent home. At the time he had two brothers stationed in Japan and they were the first family he saw, what a wonderful reunion that must have been for the three of them. Another thing I will remember as long as I live, was the day he walked into our house when he came home. I was told that I jumped at least 6 feet off the ground when he entered, might have been a slight exaggeration on my uncle's part. He was extremely thin and there is really no way I can explain how I felt, it was almost like seeing someone who had risen from the dead and now that I think about that, it may very well be the way he felt at the time. He was a dear man and one that was loved by all who knew him. My memories of him will forever be etched in my heart.