Goes Thru War
Uninjured, Then
Has Back Hurt
[Editors Note; The following is taken from he July 30 issue of the
Oliver Beacon, official newspaper of the Oliver General Hospital in
Augusta, Ga. T/4 Franklin is the so of Mr. and Mrs. McKinley
Franklin, sr. of 820 Chesterfield street, Aiken.]
T/4 McKinley Franklin, Ward 31, is another unlucky patient who
managed to go through the whole war and return only to be injured and
hospitalized. Franklin sustained a back injury in a practice jump
while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. He
came to OGH on January 12th of this year.
"Kin" was born in Aiken in 1926.
His early life was similar to any other boys. He attended grammar
and High school, completing the latter in 1942. |
In 1944 "Kin" was drafted. He took his Basic raining at Fort
McClellan, Alabama and then as a paratrooper went to jump school at Fort
Benning. By January of 1945, T/4 Franklin was overseas with the
508rth parachute regiment where they fought in the Ardennes and
subsequent battles thereafter.
"Our heaviest fighting was on the Cologne plains," says the
sergeant. "We were in the area of the Canadian 9th, northwest of
the city." "Kin" was a radio operator and kept liaison between the
Company and Platoon commanders. He said the 25 lb Field Radio was
not too heavy.
(Aiken Standard and Review, Friday, August 4,
1948, Page 10)
|
|
PERRY - McKinley "Frank" Franklin, Jr., 82, passed away
on Friday, January 9, 2009, at Heart of Georgia Hospice Inpatient Care.
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 12,
2009, at St. Patrick Catholic Church with Father Kirk Mansell
officiating. The Committal Service with Military Honors will follow at
Perry Memorial Gardens.
The Scripture Service and Visitation will be held from
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2009, at St. Patrick Catholic
Church. The family may be contacted at 1102 Pineneedle Drive in
Perry. The family suggests contributions to St. Patrick Catholic Church,
Heart of Georgia Hospice, or The American Cancer Society.
Mr. Franklin was born in Aiken, South
Carolina to the late Martha and McKinley Franklin, Sr.
He was a graduate of Clemson University and proudly
served his country for 6 years in the Army 82nd
Airborne Division |
during World War II. He had lived in Perry since 1968,
having moved from Macon. Mr. Franklin retired as the Regional Vice
President of Federal Land Bank. He was a member of the VFW, and he loved
fishing and gardening. Mr. Franklin was a member of St. Patrick Catholic
Church.
His memory will forever be treasured by his loving wife
of 61 years, Margaret Franklin of Perry; children, Randy Franklin
(Karen) of Perry, David Franklin (Diane) of Milledgeville, and Mike
Franklin (Bonnie) of Perry; his grandchildren, Steven Franklin (Nicole),
Courtney Phillips (Eric), Kent Franklin, Brad Franklin, Chris Franklin,
Matthew Franklin, Carsten Franklin, and Kelly Franklin;
great-grandchildren, Evan Franklin and Kayla Phillips; sister, Sue
Morton of Greenville, SC; and special friends, Frank and Marsha Russo of
Perry, and Dot Aiken of Belvedere, SC.
(appeared Monday, September 27, 2010 |
