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    • A Guardsman in the War

     

    Patrick Farino, from Woburn, MA, was one of the rare soldiers who served in the 182nd as a National Guardsman for several years before Pearl Harbor (he enlisted in 1938), but sill saw significant, long-term action during the war. He is seen here in the Company G unit photo from 1941, second row, second from the right.

    The Man with the Photos

     

    Farino served in the 2nd Platoon, and is credited with coming up with the nickname "Roy's Raiders." He served as the company's photographer, both official and unofficial. He developed photos in his tent, filling his helmet with solution to produce prints. He charged soldiers a dollar a print for this service. During the battle for Hill 260, Farino was wounded in the initial Japanese assault on the hill. At some point during the fighting, he lost his pack, which included his precious camera. After the hill was recaptured, he found his camera, safely tucked away in a Japanese foxhole.

    The photo at right was taken in South Carolina, during Company G's participation in the massive war games in the fall of 1941.

     

     


    Winning a Bet

     

    In August 1944, several young film stars visited Bougainville with a USO show. Farino bet his friends in Company G $10 that he could get his photo taken with one of them. He won the bet. The photo, with dancer Patty Thomas, is shown here, at right.

    Accommodations on Bougainville

     

    Patrick Farino and Inky Simmons constructed a sturdy shack in the Company G camp area on Bougainville, using scavenged materials. Farino designed a double roof to help mitigate the heat from the intense tropical sun. In this photo, Simmons leans on the shack, at left. The man at far right appears to be Jack Morton.

    Photographer

     

    Farino served a total of 26 years in the military, retiring as a First  Sergeant. In addition to World War II, he also served in Korea. He retired prior to fighting in Vietnam, not wanting to press his luck. Photography remained an important part of his life, and he owned a studio back home in Massachusetts for many years. He lives today in Florida.