Jack B. Farris

Jack Brodie Farris (December 5, 1935 – December 14, 2019) was a United States Army lieutenant general who commanded the military ground forces during Operation Urgent Fury, the United States invasion of Grenada in 1983; at the time of his retirement in 1991 he was deputy commander of the United States Pacific Command in Hawaii.

Life and career A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, he graduated from Myers Park High School.

In 1985, he transferred to South Korea as deputy commander for operations of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, then took over as commanding general of the 2nd Infantry Division. After a tour as chief of staff for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia, he was advanced to the rank of lieutenant general and served his final assignment as deputy commander of the United States Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii; he retired in 1991 after 33 years of service.

General Farris earned a master's degree in international affairs from Florida State University in 1972 and was a graduate of the United States Army War College, the United States Army Ranger School and the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School; he also attended the John F. Kennedy program on International Security at Harvard University. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and Master Parachutist Badge, his military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, 3 awards of the Legion of Merit and Purple Heart. He died on December 14, 2019, at the age of 84.