“The combat experiences of Phil Larimore, as captured by his son in this terrific and inspirational book, are a testament to the grit and fortitude of a generation who really knew the meaning of duty and personal sacrifice for the greater good.”
— Flint Whitlock, former U.S. Army captain and editor of WWII Quarterly magazine
Colorado Springs CO, November 18, 2022 — Like many children growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, Walt Larimore wanted his dad to have been a hero.
“I wondered because he had pictures of generals in his office that were personalized and autographed; he had shadow boxes of medals; but he never talked about it,” Walt Larimore said in a recent interview.
His father, Lieutenant Philip Larimore, fought in Southern Europe during World War II. But it wasn’t until he had been married for 45 years and his children were grown that he spoke candidly for the first time about his extraordinary encounters and achievements.
The youngest-ever graduate of the Army’s Officer Candidate School and one of the most decorated front-line junior officers in the war, Philip Larimore commanded a front-line platoon, shot snipers out of trees from up to 100 yards, won a steeplechase with a Nazi officer in Czechoslovakia, completed a clandestine mission to save Lipizzaner horses from Hitler, became one of the youngest Company Commanders in the war, along with developing a friendship with President Truman and playing bridge with then-General Eisenhower — among many other almost Forest-Gump-like exploits.
At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse, by Walt Larimore (with co-author Mike Yorkey), recounts Philip Larimore’s mischievous early years, his banishment to the Gulf Coast Military Academy and his astonishing acts of bravery during World War II. He fought 413 days straight, was wounded seven times and was awarded seven purple hearts, three of which he turned down because he didn’t feel the wounds were significant enough.
“He never talked about those medals; he never talked about those battles,” Walt Larimore said. “And a lot of the men were like that. They fought for freedom; they fought for liberty. But when they came home, they wanted to live life.”
At First Light concludes with Philip Larimore’s heroic post-war battle with the U.S. War Department over its policy of not allowing amputee officers to continue in the Army. The final courtroom testimony, uncovered in the U.S. National Archives, reads like the chilling trial scene between the characters played by Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in the movie, A Few Good Men.
The details of Philip Larimore’s exceptional military career, including interactions with Winston Churchill, General George Patton and General Lucian Truscott, and his role in a top-secret mission that led to saving the world-famous Lipizzaners all remained uncovered until the research and publication of AtFirst Light. The book has been praised as being “a riveting story that rivals Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken,” and “a combination of Band of Brothers and War Horse.”
“Even in these politically tense times, maybe there’s something we can all camp on, and that’s the fact that our ability to even argue rests upon the liberty and freedom that those men and women won for us in World War II,” Walt Larimore added.
About the Author
Walt Larimore is an internationally recognized family physician, an award-winning medical journalist, and a bestselling author of over 40 books and over 1,100 articles in professional and lay magazines and journals. He spent more than 15 years traveling to over a dozen archives and military installations in eight U.S. states, England, France and Italy, as well as interviewing many soldiers (and their families) to research, document and write this epic narrative about his father and the countless men and women who fought on “the forgotten front” in Southern Europe in World War II.
For more information, visit https://www.drwalt.com (click on the “At First Light” tab), or follow him on Facebook (Walt.Larimore), Twitter (@WaltLarimore), Instagram (WaltLarimoreMD), and LinkedIn (walt-larimore-8415105).
“I spent the majority of my life fighting battles on the football field—thirty years in the National Football League, nine Super Bowls, and legendary classics like the famous ‘Ice Bowl.’ I’ve told my ‘war stories’ from the NFL for years, but none of my tales come close to the captivating story shared by Walt Larimore in At First Light, a war story about his father who fought to protect the very freedoms you and I enjoy in this country we love.”— Dan Reeves, Super Bowl Champion and record-setting NFL player and coach
“The children of America’s wounded warriors share a special bond. We know firsthand what that red stripe in Old Glory means and respect every bloodstained story of valor behind it. Whether or not you come from a patriotic home, Walt Larimore’s masterful and moving account of his father’s sacrifice in World War II will make you proud to be an American.”—Tara McClary Reeves, daughter of Vietnam War hero Clebe McClary and author of Is Your Dad a Pirate?
At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse
A Note to the Reader
I’ve written forty books over the years, and until the publication of At First Light, my books never included any potentially offensive words, especially the four-letter variety. With this book about my father, Philip B. Larimore, Jr., however, I wanted to re-create as realistic a story as possible, quoting him and his fellow soldiers as accurately as possible.
Thus, At First Light contains some profanity, which is used judiciously and in the right context. If you have an aversion to swearing and profanity or believe such language is not suitable, then this book might not be for you. However, there is no sexualized content or descriptions of sexuality in At First Light.
—Walt Larimore
To hear a recent interview with Walt, visit https://55krc.iheart.com/featured/brian-thomas-wkrc/content/2022-11-02-walt-larimore-book-at-first-light/.
Publisher: Knox Press
ISBN-10: 1642939595
ISBN-13: 978-1642939590
Available from Amazon.com and other online retailers
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