Farragut, Idaho  Where Fightin' Blue Jackets Were Made!
Directory   [Home] [Contact Us] [Whats New] [Upcoming Events] [The Society] [Museum Attractions] [Gift Shop] [Gowen Field Memorial] New! [Newsletters] [Historical Gowen Field] [Medal Of Honor]  [Teachers And Kids Page]   [Endowment]   [Most Wanted] [Farragut (WWII Naval Training Center)] [Links]	Nestled at the foot of the Coeur d’Alene Mountains in the Bitterroot Mountain Range and named for Admiral David Glassgow Farragut, a Civil War Naval Hero, Farragut, Idaho welcomed its first Naval recruits on 17 September 1942. From then until 10 March 1945 when the last class graduated, Farragut was the second-largest U. S. naval training station in the world.  During the 30 months it was operational, Farragut trained 293,381 recruits. It was originally believed that 19 states sent Naval recruits to Farragut. It has since come to light that there were 22 (and counting!)  They were California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,  Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.  This photo is of Company 4022-44 Regiment 2, Battalion 5, D.A. Andreani Commanding.  (July 6, 1944). Special thanks to Dean Grow whose father George E. Grow is 4th row up and 14th from the left.   Following his graduation from Farragut, George went to San Diego for additional training before being shipped overseas.  He was eventually sent to Yokohama after the end of the war and was discharged at Bremerton, Washington in February of 1946.  If you have a copy of the roster that accompanies this photo, we would be very interested in receiving a copy of it.  Below is a class picture of Company 1080-43, Regiment 4, Battalion 14, - U. S. NAVAL TRAINING STATION - FARRAGUT, IDAHO - M. D. ELLIOTT C.Sp. Co. Cmdr. Jan. 21, 1944  One of the recruits is Jack W. Birdsall.  Jack is in the second row on the bottom.  From the left he the 6th person to the right.  Special thanks to Tammy Birdsall, Jack's daughter, for sending us this photo. If you have a copy of the roster that accompanies this photo, we would be very interested in receiving a copy of it.  If you knew Jack Birdsall, please e-mail us, his daughter would like to contact you.

Below is a class picture of  Company 5031, Regiment 2, Battalion 6 (December 26, 1944).  Special thanks to John Kinser whose father Howard C. Kinser, is in the picture.  He is in the bottom row, second person on the right. 

Howard arrived in Farragut from Oklahoma by way of California and served in the Navy from 16 September 1944  to 19 November 1945, rising to the rank of Machinist's Mate (CB) Equipment Operator, Second Class.  John also graciously sent a searchable version of the Roster.  Click here to access it.

The first photo is of Company 4002-44 (February 15, 1944). Special thanks to James Lucey whose father James C. Lucey is in the picture, Third Row from the bottom, Fifth person (Left to Right).  This is a VERY large graphic but the quality is very good and all faces are clearly discernable.

J.C. Lucey arrived in Farragut from Montana and after graduating served at the submarine base in Valejo, California, eventually making his way to the Philippines where he supported the Pacific Submarine Fleet in the war against Japan.

The second photo is a roster of the names of those in the photo.  The graphic is also very large so it may take a while to download.  The names are very clear so it is well worth the wait!

Below is a class picture of Quartermaster School, Section 11, Service Schools, Farragut, Idaho.  Graduation exercises were held on Dec. 8, 1944.  Special thanks to Sandra Peterson whose grandfather, Loell R. Streit, is in the picture.  He is in the front row, third from the right.  He served as a Petty Officer 2nd Class on the USS Karnes.  His home town was Pocahontas, Iowa. 

This photo is of Company 2020, Regiment 4, Battalion 13, J. Gleason C.Sp. Co. Cmdr., October 31, 1943

Special thank you to Phil McGovern of Chicago, IL whose father, Emmett G. McGovern, is located front (bottom) row, 4th from right.  After Farragut, he served the Navy as a Sheet Metal Specialist working on Airplanes in Alameda, California.

We recently learned that Robert E. Bush attended Naval Medical Corps Basic Training at Farragut, Idaho, graduating in February 1944. 
Bush was a Navy medical corpsman during the Battle of Okinawa and at the age of 18, was the youngest sailor to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II.

We recently learned that Fred Faulkner Lester also attended Naval Medical Corps Basic Training at Farragut, Idaho, graduating in late 1943 or early 1944. 
Lester was a Navy medical corpsman during the Battle of Okinawa where he earned the Medal of Honor in June 1945. 

We do not have his exact graduation date, neither do we have his class photo.  If you can help in this regard, please contact us. 

We also recently learned that John H. Bradley, one of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima, attended training at Farragut.  Bradley is pictured in the very famous photo of the  raising of the second flag on Mount Suribachi; he is in the front row, second from the right.  Bradley was also a recipient of the Navy Cross. 

If you have any information on when he graduated Farragut, we would very much appreciate receiving it.  We do not have his exact graduation date, neither do we have his class photo.

The Annual Farragut Veterans Reunion is tentatively scheduled (at Farragut) for 6 September 2008.  

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Page last updated: Thursday, July 10, 2008