Saturday, August 31, 2013

J. Farrell Larsen Born 82 Years Ago Today

My father, Farrell Larsen, would have turned 82 years today had it not been for a tragic horse-riding accident seven years ago.  I've thought a lot about him today and over the past few months, as I've written and published The Living Hunger.  The novel is dedicated to his memory and he is, in fact, the man behind the book's main character, Farrell Jenson.  Many of the things that happen to Farrell along the way in the story are, in fact, real-life events that were changed only slightly to fit the story's narrative.
As in the book, he did serve in Korea as a tank mechanic and did, on more than one occasion, venture into enemy territory to recover equipment as depicted in the novel.  Over the next few months, I hope to acquaint the book's followers with more details from his life that are injected into the story.  He was a strong man with faults and frailties, like us all, but he loved his family and in his later years tried to make up for years lost to personal challenges.  Today, I missed him a little more than I usually do and wish I could hear him say one more time, "Well my boy, I love and miss you."  Me too, Dad - me too.

J. Farrell Larsen (1931-2006)

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