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 2nd Battalion
Headquarters Company, 26th Regiment of the 1st
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 1st 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 1st 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.