Page 3 - JSOM Winter 2024

he Winter edition of the Journal of D e d i c a t i o n Rocky’s additional educational accomplish-
Dedication
Special Operations Medicine is ded- ments include a Master of Public Health
Ticated to physician and U.S. Army from the University of Texas and a Master’s
Colonel (Ret) Warner “Rocky” Dahlgren degree in Strategic Studies from the Air War
Farr, MD, MPH, MSS, of Tampa, Florida. College.
Rocky passed away on 20 November 2024,
in the company of his wife, Kathleen, and In 2016, Rocky was inducted into the Special
his favorite dachshund, Dartle. He was 76 Forces Regimental Honors Hall of Fame of
years of age, and is survived by his wife, the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special War-
physician and U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel fare Center and School, Special Operations
(Ret) Kathleen Dunn Farr, his sons, U.S. Center of Excellence. In May 2024, he was
Army Colonel/Honorable (Ret) and Senior selected as an inaugural inductee into the
District Judge David Dahlgren Farr (Betsy) Special Operations Forces Medical Hall of
and U.S. Air Force Colonel (Ret) Timothy Honor, recognizing his transformative con-
Andrew Farr (Cecilia) and grandchildren tributions to Special Operations medicine.
Megan Elizabeth, Kathryn Marye, and Jack
Dahlgren Farr, and Seth Jonathan and Sarah COL Warner D. (Rocky) Farr, MD Rocky was a passionate educator, teaching
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Marie Farr. in the Army’s Flight Surgeon Course, the
Special Forces Medical Course, and the U.S. Air Force Aero-
Rocky was born 30 May 1948, in Arkansas, to U.S. Army space Medicine Residency. As an associate professor, he also
Colonel (Ret) Charles Dahlgren Farr and Marye Elizabeth taught flight physiology and vision at Embry-Riddle Aero-
Harris Farr. He enlisted in the Airborne Infantry on 23 April nautical University and then served as the Associate Clinical
1967 and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Air- Professor of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Associate
borne). He volunteered for service in Vietnam and was assigned Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at Lake Erie College
to the Military Assistance Command – Vietnam Studies & Ob- of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida, following
servation Group (MACV-SOG). In 1971, Rocky attended the his military retirement in May 2013. He remained active on
Defense Language Institute then joined Detachment A, Berlin the Department of Defense Tactical Combat Casualty Care
Brigade. After a tour in Berlin, he returned to the U.S. and be- Committee.
came an instructor at the ROTC Detachment, Northeast Lou-
isiana University, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Rocky was also a prolific author, writing or editing several
Medical Technology. As a Sergeant First Class, he taught the 18 books, including The Death of the Golden Hour and the
Delta course and was ultimately selected for Master Sergeant. Return of the Future Guerrilla Hospital, American Guer-
In 1979, Rocky was accepted into and attended the Uniformed rilla Warfare Medical Doctrine—The First Manuals: Lessons
Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) and was com- Learned, Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook, and
missioned a Second Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps. The Third Temple’s Holy of Holies: Israel’s Nuclear Weapons.
Rocky was the distinguished honor graduate of his Army Flight
Surgeon Course and solo qualified in the TH-55 helicopter. In Rocky’s military awards include the Combat Medical Badge
1983, he received his Doctor of Medicine and completed resi- with Star, Expert Infantryman Badge, Army Master Flight
dencies and board certifications in aerospace medicine as well Surgeon Wings, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge,
as both anatomic and clinical pathology. Scuba Badge, Special Forces Tab, Defense Superior Service
Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star
Rocky’s many decades of Service included the following: Com- for Valor with oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service
mander, Company F, 3rd Battalion, Academy Brigade, Acad- Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf
emy of Health Sciences; Course Director, Special Operations clusters, Air Medal with 2 devices, Joint Service and Army
Medical Sergeant Course; Infantry Team, Readiness Group at Commendation Medals, Good Conduct Medal with clasp and
Fort Sam Houston advising the 12th Special Forces Group (Air- 4 loops, President, Valorous, Meritorious and Joint Unit Cita-
borne); Chief, Army Aviator Evaluation at the U.S. Air Force tions, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, and the U.S. Air
School of Aerospace Medicine; Chief, Department of Pathol- Force Operational Excellence Unit Citation.
ogy, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital; Flight Surgeon,
50th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), 101st Airborne Di- Rocky enjoyed many interests during his lifetime with a ma-
vision (Air Assault); Division Surgeon, 10th Mountain Divi- jor one being the history of the Civil War and “The Republic
sion; Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Aeromedical Center and of Texas”; he leaves behind an enormous academic library.
Lyster Army Hospital; Deputy Chief of Staff, Surgeon, U.S. He was fluent in numerous languages including German and
Army Special Operations Command; Command Surgeon, U.S. Farsi and played the bagpipes as a nod to the Farr family’s
Army Special Forces Command and U.S. Army Civil Affairs Scottish lineage. He enjoyed many great long Texas evenings
and Psychological Operations Command; Command Surgeon, by the campfire at the Farr Ranch in Leakey, Texas, with his
U.S. Special Operations Command; and Command Surgeon, grandchildren and enjoyed “ranching” in the Hill Country.
Special Operations Command Center Command. Over several decades, Rocky was instrumental in mentoring
countless Special Forces medical professionals and in setting
As a member of the Department of Defense Tactical Combat the stage for improved combat medical effectiveness in both
Casualty Care Committee, he established training require- the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of combat. His legacy is the
ments for battlefield care and routinely conducted training for development of a long line of medical professionals, both mil-
deploying medical personnel. He retired from the Army as the itary (officer and non-commissioned officer) and civilian as
third-longest-serving U.S. Army Soldier on 1 May 2013. well as his significant contributions to saving the lives of his

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