FARON, ALFRED

Alfred R. Faron

Army

Coram

Alfred R. Faron was born in Coram on February 1, 1923 and attended the old one room in Coram for 8 years. After 2 ½ years at Port Jefferson High School he went to work at the Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn and on January 4, 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Dix, NJ. His basic training was at Fort Jackson, SC and on November 2, 1943 he left New York aboard the Queen Elizabeth destined for England. On June 5, 1944 Al left England aboard an LST and landed the next day on Omaha Beach, Normandy. He was a jeep driver in the 2^nd Battalion Headquarters Company, 26^th Regiment of the 1^st Infantry Division. In five days, the division drove inland and cleared a beachhead for supplies and troops. Driving eastward across France against fanatical resistance, the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division spent nearly six months in continuous action with the enemy. After capturing Aachen, the 1^st Infantry Division still faced months of bitter fighting at places like the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. When the War ended, the "Big Red One" had rolled through Germany and into Czechoslovakia.

For 23 months during combat operations in France, Belgium, Germany and Czechoslovakia Alfred drove his jeep many miles between his HQ company and other units of the 1^st Infantry Division transporting officers, supplies and messages. On one occasion while returning from the front he arrived at a crossroads and encountered troops that had turned the wrong direction. He informed them of their mistake and they were able to return to the crossroad and get going in the right direction without any problems. During the famous Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944 he experienced a severe case of frostbite that always remained a problem during cold weather. After V-E day he was able obtain a pass to visit Paris and on October 4, 1945 he departed Europe and arrived back in the U.S. nine days later. He was discharged Oct. 19, 1945 at Fort Dix, NJ and returned home to Coram.

Alfred was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the European Theater of Operations Ribbon with 5 battle stars and 1 beach landing arrow head, and the Good Conduct Ribbon.