In Memoriam: Former 18D, COL (R)Warner “Rocky” Farr
It is difficult to begin to know how to begin to honor a man who has given so much to the community that he helped to build and guide for more than half a century. A Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment, Rocky Farr was one of those larger-than-life legends whose exploits are almost too numerous and astounding to believe. As a prior 18D with an Army Career spanning almost 5 decades, Rocky was a dedicated mentor and friend to many in our community across multiple generations. He played no small part in shaping modern SOF and SOF Medicine. I wish we had a 5-hour podcast with the giant of a man but this short bootleg snippet of his talk and his JSOU monograph will have to do. Before going to med school and working his way up to the position of USSOCOM Command Surgeon during the height of the GWOT, he reportedly hunted the Jackal with Billy Waugh, and served in BOTH MACVSOG AND Det-A Berlin…
Rocky was “on the ground” and part of the fast paced innovations when his generation of Vietnam Combat Vets pivoted to face the spread of Cold War communism in a Europe divided, and then yet again to build the world’s most capable counterterrorism force in history. After an already storied SOF career he decided to go to Med school and since that wasn’t hard enough apparently, he also got rated to solo-fly helicopters while at flight surgeon School. Every time I look into his history, I find more unbelievable tales. You would never know it when talking to him on-on-one until a random and unbelievable anecdote was pulled from the depths of his mind to add unneeded weight to his words. Rocky’s wisdom gained from his experience and education always provided us with insight and a perspective that couldn’t be found anywhere else on earth. He has 38 Articles and Book reviews chronicled in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine and many, many more ‘Letters from the SOCOM Surgeon,’ where is words will live on for generations of future Special Forces Medical Sergeants and those interested in SOF and IW Medicine. Rocky will be missed by many.
Gone but never forgotten.
-De Oppresso Liber
Our Recording of Rocky from a talk that he gave at SOMSA 2018:
Slides from the SOMSA talk:
From the Joint Special Operations University:
Colonel Warner “Rocky” Farr has made an important contribution to the body of SOF knowledge with this well-researched monograph. He advances the understanding of the many challenges and accomplishments related to guerrilla warfare medicine—care provided by predominantly indigenous medical personnel under austere conditions with limited evacuation capability— by providing a survey of the historical record in UW literature. Colonel Farr relates many historical experiences in the field, assesses their effectiveness, and lays a foundation for further in-depth study of the subject. The Joint Special Operations University is pleased to offer this monograph as a means of providing those scholars and operators, as well as policymakers and military leaders, a greater understanding of the complex and complicated field of guerrilla warfare medicine.
From the Special Forces Taps Facebook Group:
Dr. Rocky Farr passed away on November 20, 2024 while under hospice care in Tampa, FL. Awaiting obituary. Rocky Farr enlisted in Airborne in 1967. He was the distinguished honor graduate of his Special Forces medic class, and served as a team medic with 7th SFG(F). In Vietnam, he served as a medic and recon team member with MACV-SOG, CCS. He served with SGM Billy Waugh in Cambodia in an operation written about in the book “Chasing the Jackal. In 1971 he joined Det. A, Berlin. He became the SF instructor at Northeast Louisiana University. As an SFC, he taught in the SF Medical Course and was selected for promotion to MSG. He was then commissioned 2LT.While a medical student, he was the medical platoon leader for the 11th SFG(A). Receiving his M.D. in 1983, he served as commander, Co. F (Abn), running the Special Operations Medical Sergeants Course. He was the Division surgeon of the 10th Mountain Division and deputy commander of the Aeromedical Center, Fort Rucker. He attended Air War College before becoming deputy chief of staff, Surgeon, USASOC, and Surgeon, Special Forces Command and Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command. He served in Vietnam, Cambodia, Berlin, Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
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Doc Farr ran 300f1 when I went through in the late 80s. He was still a “team guy” even though he was the OIC. Ran into him again many years later at Bragg and even with all he’d accomplished he was still and always was a team guy.
RIP DOC Farr a true hero and legend learned a great deal for you as my SOCCENT/SG