Joe Franklin

[28 AUG 1933 - K1 - 20207 - 8 MAR 2017]

2007 USMA Distinguished Graduate

2007 Distinguished Graduate Gathering

Joe Franklin Eulogies

AOG Testimonials

Camp Century Article



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Rich and Inez Cardillo, Connie Franklin, John Sloan,
Kip Volkstadt, Ruth Sloan, Dick and Sandy Wargowsky,
Jim Cutchin, Matt Schepps. (Betty Schepps took the picture.)
[DC Class Lunch - JAN 2023]



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'55 DC Holiday Brunch
[ANCC - Dec 2018]



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[Tom Herren Funeral - SEP 2018]

More Funeral Pictures



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[Joe Franklin Funeral - DEC 2017]

More Funeral Pictures



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Shirley and Dick Fontaine - Mary Ann Miller - Connie Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2017]



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Connie Franklin - Vitty's - Auer's
[Naples FL - APR 2017]



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Connie Franklin and Pat Vitty
[Naples FL - APR 2017]



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Connie Franklin and Rod Vitty
[Naples FL - APR 2017]



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Front: Ted Gay - Joe Franklin - Rich Miller - Jim Cutchin - Rear: Ed Anderson - Bill McCulla - Dave McNerney - Matt Schepps - Jack Doyle - Carl McNair [JUN 2016 NOVA Lunch]



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Rear: Ray Gunderson - Ed Anderson - Dave McNerney - Bill McCulla - Joe Franklin - Rich Miller - Front: Jim Cutchin - Matt Schepps - Bob Carpenter - Marty McGuire - Jack Doyle [NOVA Lunch - OCT 2015]



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Paula Campbell and Miffy (daughter) - Franklin's
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Chris Traut - Franklin's and Dick Traut
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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? - Franklin's
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Ted Gay - Robbie Robinson - Franklin's
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Franklin - Feagin - Wheeler - Auer
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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John Feagin and Joe Franklin
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Auer - Schepps - Franklin - Hilbert
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Franklin - Hilbert - Rich Miller - Pirkey - DeMaris
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Franklin - Robinson - Vitty
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Hilbert - Franklin - Ryan - Vitty - Kennebeck - Robinson -
Wargowsky [60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Hilbert - Franklin - Ryan - Vitty - Kennebeck - Robinson -
Wargowsky [60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Franklin's
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Franklin's
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Franklin's - Wargowsky's - Regnier's
[60th Reunion - May 2015]



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Joe Franklin and Jim Torrence family (Jim's grandson)
[Receiving the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award - 2015]



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Joe Franklin and ???
[DC Party - DEC 2014]



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Barbara McJoynt - Dan Ludwig - John Rudzki - Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2014]



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Jack Campbell and Joe Franklin
[Austin Micro Mini - NOV 2014]



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Rod Vitty - Bob and Pat Hurley - Linda Newton - Joe Franklin - Roy and Sandra Lynn - Connie Franklin - Jack and Candy Strom - Pat Strati - Don Hilbert - Pat Vitty - Tom Horst - Bob Strati - Ruth Horst - Charlie Johnson - Suzanne Pirkey - Dave Wheeler - Trudy Johnson - Caye Wheeler - Jane and Bob Pinkston - Fred Pirkey (Not pictured - Pete and Angee Fikaris - daughter - SIL and grandson) [Air Force Game Gathering - Nov 2014]



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Joe Franklin Foursome
[Army Football Club Golf Tournament - JUL 2013]

West Point - 31 July 2014. Results of the 11-12 July AFC Golf Classic were posted today. The annual tournament pits aging warriors against the youngest of recent Army football greats. One Joe Franklin - a K-1 runt and guard on the famous 1953 Army Team - brought great glory to the last of the great classes - the Class of '55. Franklin turned in a 9 under par score of 63 - bettering 192 of the younger players. Franklin modestly attributed his achievement to living a pious life along the shores of Deep Creek Lake - MD and to the Engineer Basic Course at Ft. Belvoir where he supplied unlimited amounts of Old Export Beer to winsome airline stewardesses at the Hunting Towers Apartments



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Ted Gay - Bill McCulla - Jack Doyle - Marty McGuire - Jim Cutchin - Dan Troyan - Leo Hergenroeder - Matt Schepps - Dave McNerney - John Hamilton - Rich Miller (Not pictured: Ed Anderson and Joe Franklin) [AUG 2013 NOVA Lunch]



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Anna Bates - Linda Newton - Connie Franklin
[Middleburg VA - DEC 2012]



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Quent Bates - Linda Newton - Joe Franklin
[Middleburg VA - DEC 2012]



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Marcia Cathey - Connie Franklin - Anna Bates
[DC Party - DEC 2012]



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Marcia Cathey - Connie Franklin - Anna Bates
[DC Party - DEC 2012]



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Charlie Johnson - Billy Arthur - Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2012]



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Connie and Joe Franklin - Jack Doyle - Don and Carla Hilbert -
Anna Bates - Rich Miller [DC Party - DEC 2012]



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Joe Franklin and Marcia Cathey
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Dot Spaulding - Elaine West - Greta Masson - Connie and Joe Franklin -
Marcia Cathey [Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Linda Newton - Connie Franklin - Elaine West
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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? - Norm Blahuta - Joe Franklin - Al Spaulding
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Norm Blahuta - Joe Franklin - Staten Smith '56
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Marcia Cathey - Rich Miller - Connie Franklin
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Greta Masson - Joe and Connie Franklin - Rich and Mary Ann
Miller [Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Connie Franklin - Rich and Mary Ann Miller
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Joe Franklin - Norm Blahuta - ? - Rich Miller
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Linda Newton - Joe and Connie Franklin
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Jim Darrah - Norm Blahuta - Joe Franklin
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Jim Ryan - Rod Vitty - Joe Franklin
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Joe Franklin and Rod Vitty
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Don Hilbert - Connie and Joe Franklin - Rich Miller - ?
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Marcia Cathey - Rod Vitty - Ruth Sloan - Connie and Joe Franklin -
Rich Miller [Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



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Jim Ryan - Linda Newton - Joe and Connie Franklin
[Bob Newton Farewell - SEP 2012]



Franklin's - Livesay's - Maren Palmer - Vitty's - Wargowsky's
and Fellow Travelers ['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie Franklin - Lorna's Daughter and
Lorna Malooley [DC Party - DEC 2011]



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Franklin's - Livesay's - Maren Palmer - Vitty's - Wargowsky's
and Fellow Travelers ['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Franklin's - Livesay's - Maren Palmer - Vitty's - Wargowsky's
and Fellow Travelers ['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Franklin's - Livesay's - Maren Palmer - Vitty's - Wargowsky's
and Fellow Travelers ['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Franklin's - Livesay's - Maren Palmer - Vitty's - Wargowsky's
and Fellow Travelers ['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Joe Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Joe Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Vitty's and Franklin's
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Pat Vitty and Connie Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Pat and Rod Vitty - Joe Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Franklin's - Wargowsky's - Vitty's
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie Franklin and Pat Vitty
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Joe Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Joe Franklin
['55 Africa Trip: NOV - DEC 2011]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2011]



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Greta Masson and Connie Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2011]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2010]



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Marcia Cathey and Connie Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2010]



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Hilbert's - Wheeler's - Regnier's - Franklin's - Lynn's - Ryan - Newtons - Fikarises - Strati's - Johnson - Vitty's - Young. Plus guests: Hurleys (friends of Hilbert's) - Smith (he is son-in-law in Hilbert family) - Ulrichs (son-in-law in Fikaris family) - and Dave Young's lady friend Anne) [Army - Air Force: NOV 2010]



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Dorothy Crancer - Nancy Joseph - Connie
Franklin [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Connie Franklin - Mary Ann Miller - Tommy West - Rich Miller - Joe Franklin - Paula and Jack Campbell - Tom and Ruth Horst [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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K-1: Ed Anderson's - Skaff's - Rich Miller's - Father Oscar
and friends - Joe Franklin's [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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John and Marty Feagin - Joe Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Connie and Joe Franklin - Sue Graham
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Joe Franklin and Bob Strati
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Joe Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Traut - Olvey - Wheeler - Connie Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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John Feagin - Connie and Joe Franklin - Nancy Joseph -
Dorothy Crancer [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Dave Wheeler - Joe Franklin - Todd Graham
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Dave Maurer - Jack Jeter - Joe Franklin - Katherine Jeter -
Connie Franklin [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Carolyn DeRamus Cumbie and Joe Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Sandra Lynn - Connie Franklin - Greta Masson -
Joe Franklin [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Roy and Sandra Lynn - Larry and Sybil Michalove - Joe and Connie Franklin - Paul Parks - Brownie and Dave Pemberton - Bob and Linda Newton - Pete and Angee Fikaris [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Betsy and Ed Anderson - Connie and Joe Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Quent and Anna Bates - Joe and Connie Franklin -
Maren Palmer and Sandy Sanderson [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Quent Bates - Ute Bergen - Joe Franklin -
Roy Lynn [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Paul and Mellie Parks - ? - Lynn Lang - Connie Franklin - Pat
Strati - Pat Vitty - Doug Fletcher [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Anna and Quent Bates - Maren Palmer and Sandy Sanderson - Connie and Joe Franklin - Roy and Sandra Lynn [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Joe and Connie Franklin - Paul Parks - Sandra Lynn - Larry and
Sybil Michalove - Dick Regnier [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Quent Bates - Connie and Joe Franklin - Pete and Angee
Fikaris - Jack Strom [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Connie and Joe Franklin - Sandra and Roy Lynn - Dick
and Sandy Wargowsky [55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Joe and Connie Franklin - Sandy and Dick Wargowsky
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Bob Strati - Rod Vitty - Joe Franklin - Jack Campbell -
Don Hilbert - Sandy Sanderson [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Don Giza - Bob Strati - Rod Vitty - Joe Franklin -
Jack Campbell - Don Hilbert [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Pat Vitty - Mary and Bob Blitch - Pat Strati - Connie Franklin -
Paula Campbell - Maren Palmer [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Marlowe Viney - Mary Blitch - Marcia Giza - Pat Strati - Patty Page - Connie Franklin - Carla Hilbert - Maren Palmer - Don Giza - George Page [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Patty and George Page - Maren Palmer - Joe
Franklin - Sandy Sanderson [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Don Giza - Bob Strati - Rod Vitty - Joe Franklin - Jack Campbell -
Don Hilbert - Sandy Sanderson [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Natalie Wilcox - Ruth Horst - Paula Campbell - Pat Vitty - Marlowe Viney - Mary Blitch - Marcia Giza - Pat Strati - Patty Page - Connie Franklin - Carla Hilbert - Maren Palmer [NYC Trip - 55th Reunion]



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Anna Bates - Val Bundren - Joe Franklin
[55th Reunion - May 2010]



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Connie Franklin and Pat Strati
[DC Party - DEC 2009]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2008]



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Ted Gay and Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2008]



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Dan Troyan - Joe Franklin - Ted Gay
[DC Party - DEC 2008]



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Connie Franklin - Carla Hilbert -
Pat Vitty - Anna Bates [c2008]



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Sitting: Sandra Lynn - Dienst - Anna Bates - Lynn - Pat Vitty - Standing: Shirley Jacobs - Lo Dienst - Sanderson - Jacobs - Connie Franklin - Vitty - Bates - Regnier - Joe Franklin - Maren Palmer - Georgie Regnier [Steamboat Ski Trip - JAN 2008]



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Joe Franklin - Jacobs - Keegans - Dienst's
[Steamboat Ski Trip - JAN 2008]



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Connie Franklin and Jim Ryan
[DC Party - DEC 2007]



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Joe Franklin
[DC Party - DEC 2007]



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Rear: Joe Franklin - Schepps - McCulla - Middle: Wargowsky - Vitori - Hornbarger - Rich Miller - Front: Betsy Anderson - Starla Vitori - Mary Ann Miller - Greta Masson [DC Party - DEC 2007]



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Rear: Goldstein - McNerney - Joe Franklin - Schepps - Middle: Ed Anderson - Ludwig - Wargowsky - Vitori - Front: Mary Monahan - Donna Ludwig - Betsy Anderson - Starla Vitori [DC Party - DEC 2007]



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Rear: Marcia Cathey - Goldstein - ? - Kip Volkstadt - Middle: Ed Anderson - Ludwig - Wargowsky - Vitori - Hornbarger - Sandy Wargowsky - Patty Page - Front: Connie Franklin - Donna Ludwig - Betsy Anderson - Starla Vitori - Mary Ann Miller - Greta Masson [DC Party - DEC 2007]



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Rear: Patty Page - Al and Dot Spaulding - Roades - Rich Miller - Joe Franklin - Front: Greta Masson - Mary Carolyn Gay [DC Party - DEC 2007]



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Carl McNair and Joe Franklin's
[c2007]



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Pat Vitty - Marcia Cathey - Joe Franklin's
[c2007]



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Russell - Connie Franklin - ?
[c2007]



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Connie Franklin
[c2007]



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Joe Franklin and Jim Ryan
[c2007]



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Russell - Strati - ? -
McNair - Joe Franklin [c2007]



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Joe Franklin and Rich Miller
[c2007]



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McNair and Joe Franklin's
[c2007]



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Joe Franklin DG
[DG Mini - May 2007]



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[DG Mini - May 2007]



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Joe and Connie Franklin - Shirley Jacobs - Mary and Don
Andrews - Helga Hinrichs [FEB 2007 Ski Breckenridge]



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Baker - Russell - Joe Franklin
[DEC 2006]



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Joe Franklin and Jim Bergen
[DEC 2006]



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Mary Monahan - Connie and Joe Franklin
[DEC 2006]



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Joe Franklin - Lorna Malooley - Connie Franklin
[DEC 2006]



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Don Hilbert's and Joe Franklin's
[Al Bundren Funeral - DEC 2006]



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Joe Franklin - Thorsen - Marcia Cathey
[Al Bundren Funeral - DEC 2006]



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Drummond - Joe Franklin - Auger
[Al Bundren Funeral - DEC 2006]



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Mary Ann Miller - Linda Newton - Joe Franklin
[c2006]



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McNair and Joe Franklin
[DEC 2005]



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[50th Reunion Bio]



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Joe Franklin leads the Conga line
[50th Reunion]



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Connie Franklin and Greta Masson
[50th Reunion]



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Connie Franklin and Ted Livesay
[50th Reunion]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
[50th Reunion]



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Joe and Connie Franklin - Mary Ann and Rich Miller -
Bernadette and Dan Dugan [50th Reunion]



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Connie and Joe Franklin
[50th Reunion]



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Leanne (friend) and Ed Nidever - Connie and Joe Franklin
[50th Reunion]



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Joe and Connie Franklin - Mary Ann Miller -
Bernadette and Dan Dugan [50th Reunion]



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Todd Graham - Don Smith - Joe Franklin
[50th Reunion]



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Auger - Father Oscar - Joe Franklin - McNair
[50th Reunion]



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Anderson- Jim Ryan - Joe Franklin - Newton
[MAR 2005]



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Sam Wilder '61 - Jim Ryan - Joe Franklin -
Newton [MAR 2005]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Jim Ryan and Joe Franklin
[MAR 2005]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin
[MAR 2005]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Lucas - Malone - Joe Franklin - Jim Ryan - Newton -
Bergen - Anderson - Welter [MAR 2005]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin sings 'The Reuben James"
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty - Bates - Joe Franklin - Jacobs - Sanderson
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



T. Regnier - The Hinrichs - M. Settle - G. Regnier -
Joe Franklin's - T. Regnier [JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



John Feagin - Connie Franklin - Shirley Jacobs
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin Generally likes red wine
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty - Shirley Jacobs - Anna Bates - Connie
Franklin [JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bates - Joe Franklin - Mary and Jim Keegan -
Sandra Lynn [JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bergen - Bates - Joe Franklin
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin and Lynn
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Jacobs - Joe Franklin - Pirkey
[JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty - Bates - Joe Franklin - Jacobs -
Sanderson [JAN 2005 Ski Club Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin
[DG Mini - MAY 2004]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bundren - Mary Monahan - Connie
Franklin - Carla Hilbert [c2004]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie Franklin
[Ski Utah - 2004]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bergen - Pirkey - Joe Franklin
[Ski Utah - 2004]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin and Sandra Lynn
[Ski Utah - 2004]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bates and Joe Franklin
[Ski Utah - 2004]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



K-1: Rich Miller - Connie and Joe Franklin - Mary Ann
Miller - Ed and Betsy Anderson [DC Party - DEC 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Danny Dienst - Joe Franklin - Quent Bates - Rod Vitty - Dan Ludwig - Kelly Lichtenberg [Eastern Europe Great Rivers Trip - 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Front: Lo Dienst - Anna Bates - Connie Franklin - Marlowe Viney - Rear: Trudy Lichtenberg - Barbara (Donna's sister) - Donna Ludwig - Pat Vitty [Eastern Europe Great Rivers Trip - 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Front: Joe Franklin - Dan Ludwig - Rod Vitty - Rear: Kelly Lichtenberg - Danny Dienst - Quent Bates [Eastern Europe Great Rivers Trip - 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Front: Trish (Marlowe's daughter) - Joe and Connie Franklin - Trudy Lichtenberg - Margit Singer - Hostess - Marlowe Viney - Rear: Marcia Cathey - Kelly Lichtenberg - Pat and Rod Vitty [Eastern Europe Great Rivers Trip Home Hosted Lunch - 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Dienst - Joe Franklin - Bates - Vitty -
? - Lichtenberg [2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin - Vitty - ?
[c2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Jacobs' - ??? - Joe Franklin -
Bergen [c2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Rich Miller's - Roades - Joe Franklin's -
Ed Anderson [c2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Del Jacobs and Joe Franklin
[SnowMass - 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin
[SnowMass - 2003]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Baker - Connie Franklin -
Bates - Rich Miller's [c2002]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty - Ludwig's - ? - Lichtenberg - Joe Franklin's -
Bob Johnson - Bates - Wargowsky's - Rudzki's [c2002]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin

[c2002]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie Franklin
[SEP 2002 Ski Club Bike Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Dienst - Bates - Miller - Cardillo - Joe Franklin -
Lynn - Hinrichs - Jacobs [SEP 2002 Ski Club Bike Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty - Ludwig - May - Lichtenberg - Joe Franklin - Bob Johnson -
Bates - Wargowsky - Livesay [2002 Founder's Day]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Rich Cardillo and Joe Franklin
[2002 Ski Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie Franklin
[2002 Ski Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Linda Newton - Lo Dienst - Connie Franklin - Angee Fikaris
Judy Lathrop - Candy Strom - Strom - Hinrichs [2002 Ski Trip]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Welter - Gallup - Joe Franklin -
Quinn - Livesay [2001]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Feagin and Joe Franklin
[45th Reunion - SEP 2000]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Ludwig - Joe Franklin - McNair -
Newton - Karam [2000]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Haas - Bob Johnson - Cathey -
Nordlie - Joe Franklin [2000]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



McNair's - Pirkey's - Joe Franklin -
Bergen [c2001]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Strari - Roades - Ludwig - Newton - Cardillo - Ed Anderson -
Fikaris - Lichtenberg - Dienst - Joe Franklin - Cathey [c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Gen. Christman - Newton - Cardillo - Roades - Ludwig - Dienst - Fikaris -
Ed Anderson - Cathey - Joe Franklin - Strati - Lichtenberg [c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Auer - ? - Fikaris - Joe Franklin -
Bob Strickland - Wheeler's [c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Dinwiddie - Karam - Bliss - Bob Johnson -
Secord - Joe Franklin [c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin - ? - Dienst - Newton - Zaborowski - ? - Lichtenberg -
Gen. Christman - Roades - Vitty - Stern - Cathey [c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Tom Phillips and Joe Franklin
[Ski Trip - c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Caye Wheeler - Joe Franklin - Pirkey - Wheeler - Fikaris - Auer - Lynn and Bob Strickland - Olvey's son Anthony '88 [MacDill AFB FDD - 1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Dick Regnier and Joe Franklin
[Ski Trip - c1999]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bates - Joe Franklin - Georgie Regnier - ?
[Ski Trip - c1998]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Regnier's - Bates - Franklin - ?
[Ski Trip - c1998]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin - Vitty - Hilbert
[c1997]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Doyle - Quinn - Joe Franklin - Bundren's -
Mary Monahan [c1997]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Pat Vitty - ? - Connie Franklin - Dienst - ?
[c1997]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin - Ordway - Pirkey -
Todd Graham [Ski Trip - c1997]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



? - Newton - Bates - Pat Strati - Joe Franklin -
Page - Bill Anderson [c1996]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Strati - ? - Masson - Joe Franklin -
Fikaris - Vitty [c1996]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie Franklin - Kelly Lichtenberg -
Pat Strati [Kelly's NYC Restaurant - c1995]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin - Rod Vitty - Connie Franklin
[1994]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Rich Miller - Meetze - Charlie Johnson - Stockett - West - Wray - Joe Franklin -
McIlroy - Fontaine - Fiscus - Wayne Smith - McCloskey [c1994]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie and Joe Franklin
[1994]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty - Charlie Johnson - Franklin - Lewis -
Strati - Dienst - Enslow - Horst [c1994]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie Franklin - Natalie Wilcox - Pam Trobaugh -
Ellen Schick [35th Reunion - NOV 1990]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Don Giza - Rich Miller - Joe Franklin
[35th Reunion - NOV 1990]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Jim Bergen and Joe Franklin
[1989]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Vitty's - Joe Franklin's
[1986]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin's and Vitty
[c1986]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Connie Franklin and Pat Vitty
[Madrid - c1986]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin's and Cathey's
[1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Livesay - Anderson - Law - Joe Franklin - Fleming - Pettet
Rich Miller - Hawkins - McWilliams - Skaff [1985 Reunion]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Olvey - Raymond - ? - Joe Franklin
[c1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Goldstein - Hasbrouck - Lovell - Joe Franklin - ? -
Newton - Strati - Al Edwards - Olvey [c1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Weaver's - Pop Warner's - Joe
Franklin's - Strati's [c1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Rich Miller's - Connie Franklin - Strati
[c1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin
[1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin
[1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin
[c1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Bradley '15 - Polk '33 - Shoemaker '40 - Cassidy '40 -
Oblinger '53 - Joe Franklin '55 [ Fort Bragg FD - 1985]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin's - Wheeler - ? - Martha Feagin -
Newton - Feagin [c1983]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





[25th Reunion - 1980]

Row 10: Bergen - Cathey - Chapman - Gamble - Todd Graham - Don Smith - ? - Polly - McCloskey - Row 9: Blitch - Secord - Jim Ryan - Wing - ? - Row 8: ? - Matuszak - Wayne Smith - ? - Fleeger - Lynn - Joe Franklin - Charlie Johnson - Gunderson - Row 7: Regnier - ? - Reed - Stone - Herren - Weaver - Matteson - Hayes - ? - Enslow - Cliff Jones - ? - Reid - Feagin - Row 6: Wargowsky - Lichtenberg - Sanderson - Baker - Dienst - McCulla - Schick - Ludwig - Soper - Bean - Shideler - Lenio - Pirkey - Row 5: Goldstein - Fralen - Le Cates - Meisenheimer - Wheeler - Horst - Whittaker ? - Cardillo - Page - Newton - Prater - Lucas - Row 4: ? - Sloan - Traut - Rich Miller - Hoeferkamp - Heye - ? - West - Bill Graham - Row 3: Andrews - Perkins - Gay - Pace - Olvey - Strati - Dugan - Jackson - Whtitaker ? - Ralph Henry - Gallup - Murray - Ewing - Fikaris - Row 2: Hornbarger - Al Edwards - Robinson - ? - Thorsen - Dickson - Vitty - Tom Phillips - Bill Anderson - Giddings - Jacobs - Dryer - Row 1: Bazilwich - Samos - Wray - Trobaugh - Brokenshire - Bossert - Hagedorn - Walton - Poirier - Hasbrouck - LaFrenz - Nourse - Malooley



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Front: Bob LaFrenz - Bill Wilcox - Joe Franklin - John Feagin - Middle: Ken Ginter - Charlie Johnson - Bob Camp - Kelly Lichtenberg - Dave Young - Rear: Paul Bazilwich - ? - Tom Horst - Tom Sims [Tailgate - c1978]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





[15th Reunion - 1970]

Row 8: Auer - McNair - Street - Wix - Row 7: Horst - Paul Parks - ? - Dugan - Grubbs - Domeck - Bliss - Row 6: Howie Stone - Newton - Booras - Strom - McDonald - Row 5: Fikaris - Schick - Gallup - Cardillo - Wheeler - Masson - Row 4: Katenbrink - Spellman - Joseph - ? - Schlotter - Row 3: Bergen - Fralen - ? - Andrews - Dunaway - Bob Johnson - Jim Ryan - Row 2: Bean - Strati - Soper - Jeter - Wiegand - Lenio - Price - Row 1: Prater - Thorsen - Meisenheimer - Reid - Zaborowski - Feagin - Joe Franklin

Larger Size



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Joe Franklin, Camp Century Commander
[Greenland - 1964]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





'55 Engineer Officer's Basic Course
Ft. Belvoir - NOV 1955

Row 4: Lathrop - Hagedorn - Craven - J Campbell - Bazilwich - Gay - Vanden Bosch - Staudaher - Domeck - Row 3: Sietman - Sloan - Norvill - Maurer - Bates - Muller - Ginter - W Brown - Horst - Schow Row 2: Auer - S Johnson - Bishop - Gray - Polly - Sanderson - Fontaine - Gallup - L Warner - J Strickland - Row 1: Wheeler - JRC Miller - DeMaris - Carpenter - J Franklin - Guthrie - LaFrenz - Schauer - McKinney - Ludwig

Larger Size



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





K-1 Firsties - 1st Row: Skaff - Raynal - Joe Franklin - Rich Miller - Knieriem - Wayne Smith - Law - 2nd Row: Torrence (CO) - Steinman - Napier - Brunstein - McWilliams - 3rd Row: Guthrie - Hock - Livesay - Pettet - Ed Anderson - 4th Row: Jerry Hawkins - Funkhouser - Fleming (Absent: Gransback)



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



[1954 Army Football Team]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





[1953 Army Football Team]

4th row: 64 Shannon - 38 Chance - 84 Holleder - 68 Herdman - 85 Ordway - 74 Sullivan - 70 MeInick - 71 Glock - 10 Vann. 3rd row: Greer (Asst Mgr) - 81 Doremus - 63 Chesnauskas - 34 Uebel - 12 Mericle - 16 Hagan - 54 Lasley - 55 Farris - 33 Burd - Meador (Mgr). 2nd row: 46 Bell - 58 Zaborowski - 31 Wing - 11 Cody - 25 Wynn - 22 Zeigler - 65 Franklin - 37 Knierem - 66 Bruno. 1st row: 82 Lapchick - 62 Ziegler - 79 Krause - 83 Sisson - 60 Lunn (captain) - 87 Mischak - 52 Kramer - 30 Cockrell - 48 Attaya - 24 Schweikert



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Rich Miller - Knieriem - Joe Franklin - Steinman
[1953]



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


2015 AOG Online Register
(Updated JUL 2019)

Joseph P. Franklin Cullum No: 20207 Class of: 1955 Born: MD Appointment: Branch: CE-Inf Date of Death: March 8, 2017 (View Memorial Article) History: 20207 Joseph Powel Franklin B-MD: CE-Inf: CoCO 78EnBn Ger 56-59: MSCE&NE MIT 61: Nuc Power Div FtBelvoir 61-63: OIC Nuc Power Plant Greenland 63-65: Dept MA&E USMA 65-68: CGSC 69: CO 299ECBn RVN 69-70 [LM-BSM-3AM]: OJ5 JS 70-72: AWC 73: OChmn JCS 73-76 [LM-JSCM]: CO 4BCTBde 76-77: SpecAsst OJCS 77-79 [DSSM]: Cmdt Cadets USMA 79-82: ADC 25Div HI 82-83: Ch JMAAG Spain 83-87: Ret 87 MG: Pres/CEO Franklin SA Spain 87: Chmn/CEO Frequency Electronics Inc 93: AOG Distinguished Graduate Award 07: D - Arlington, VA 8Mar17 a-83: Ob-2017 TAPS

Register Glossary


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Joseph Powel Franklin

Joseph Powel Franklin was born on 28 August 1933 in Cumberland, Maryland and appointed to West Point from the 6th Congressional District of Maryland. He entered West Point on 3 July 1951 and was in Company K 1. He played football his 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Class years, golf his 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Class years and was on the swimming team his 4th Class year. He graduated on 7 June 1955 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army in the Corps of Engineers.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Old Export Beer

My step-father, Bill Bibby, just before WWII, became president of Old Export Beer, brewed in Cumberland, Maryland. He was a wonderful man, sent to Cumberland by the Baltimore bank that was trustee for the family which owned the brewery. Old Export was an ancient facility, one of two breweries in Cumberland. The other was Old German. It doesn't take much time to figure out that the majority of beer drinkers in our coal mining territory were Polish miners.




After 1939, they boycotted Old German and Old Export thrived. Remember, almost all beer was local back then, particularly in areas like ours where all forms of transportation were very limited, rail being a slight exception. My step-father was also a very gifted marketeer. The day he arrived in Cumberland he wrote the slogan: 'Mountain Water Makes the Difference.' He also conceived and implemented an ad campaign in which brewers from other parts of the country would praise Old Export in radio and newspaper ads (no TV back then.) He even got imitators who sounded like national radio personalities (remember Arthur Godfrey?) to make ads extolling Old Export, pointing out that other brewers, not movie stars, were talking about how good Old Export was.




Eventually, Old German changed its name to Queen City and the modern brewery bought out the ancient brewery and shut it down. That was after we all went to EOBC at Belvoir and every weekend I would drive up to Cumberland (and Deep Creek Lake to see Connie) and bring back 20 cases of Old Export to our apartment in Hunting Towers, which Rich Miller and Dick Auer allowed me to share with them.




Ah well, the good old days: all you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *




* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


From: 'Joe Franklin' thegeneral@thousandacres.com
To: 'Class of 1955' usma55bus@west-point.org
Subject: usma55bus: Thank you
Date sent: Mon, (11 JUN 2007) 15:14:48,0400

Dear Classmates:

Connie and I thank you, with all our hearts, for the generous outpouring of good wishes you have given us in the wake of our Distinguished Graduate recognition. I must say first, and again, that I see myself the 'designated representative' for the hundreds, thousands really, who did all the good deeds through all these years, and I just showed up to receive the award. In my view, the term 'Distinguished' belongs to our Class and all the mentors, peers, subordinates, and good soldiers who helped us build our career and find all the good fortune that came to us, year by year.

Our thanks would not be complete without a special tribute to our Class President, Carl McNair. Carl's leadership was evident in the ceremony and dinner following that so many of you took time to attend and be part of. Carl was aided and abetted in this endeavor by Charlie Johnson, who always gets the job done. We are fortunate at this moment to be so cared for by such magnificent soldiers, and we will carry indelible memories of our time together for these festivities, thanks to all of you. Thanks also to the great 'team' Carl has put together to help with the chores that fall to our Class leadership. Ted Gay and Phil Enslow were the co-chairs of the committee that led the charge to find past acquaintances who were willing to put their reputations on the line by writing a favorable letter for me. I have characterized their efforts as 'putting lipstick on a pig,' and must tip my hat to their unsurpassable skill at such a Sisyphean task.

And saving the best for last, I thank you all, most humbly and personally, for honoring the person who stuck with me, protected me, and made me be the best that I could be. Connie was so very moved by the standing ovation you all gave to her when she spoke at our dinner.

Harking back to plebe English, I believe we all still live with the words of our first Poet Laureate, Robert Frost: 'For I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.' With every mile I travel, I thank whatever Gods may be for giving me the privilege of being a member of the Class of 1955.

Your friend and classmate,

Joe Franklin


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


JOSEPH P. FRANKLIN

Throughout his life of service as a distinguished Army officer, scholar, diplomat, business leader, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the West Point Association of Graduates, Joseph P. Franklin has continuously and conspicuously dedicated himself to the principles of Duty, Honor, Country.

After graduating from West Point in June 1955, General Franklin was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers and completed the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and Ranger School. He then reported to the 78th Combat Engineer Battalion in Germany, where he served as a platoon leader and a company commander until 1959. In 1959, he was selected to attend MIT, where he earned Master's Degrees in both Civil and Nuclear Engineering.

Following graduate school, General Franklin was assigned to the Army's Nuclear Power Field Office as part of the Army Nuclear Power Program. In this assignment, his initial role was project manager for the design of the world's first floating nuclear power plant. His second task was to lead a team of specialists to dismantle a portable nuclear power plant located on the Greenland icecap, and to salvage and return (delete 'of') its highly radioactive components to the United States. General Franklin accomplished both of these unique and incredibly complex missions to perfection.

Following completion of the Engineer Officer's Advanced Course, General Franklin was assigned as an instructor in the Department of Military Art and Engineering at the Military Academy. He took charge of the Nuclear Engineering course, and wrote a new full year curriculum in nuclear engineering for First Class Cadets. His accomplishment with this course remained essentially unchanged for 40 years, until 2005, when it was expanded to become a Major Course of Study.

After his assignment at West Point, General Franklin completed a year of study at the School of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College. In 1969, he was selected to command the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion, conducting combat operations in Vietnam and Cambodia. For his superb leadership of this battalion in combat, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal.

General Franklin's follow-on assignment from Vietnam was to the Office of Plans and Policy, the J-5 of the Joint Staff. There he used his nuclear training and field experience to write the study that was the basis for recasting the United States' nuclear weapons arsenal under the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). While in that assignment, General Franklin was selected for attendance at the Army War College in 1972. Shortly before his graduation, he was reassigned to be the Army Staff Group Executive for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For his outstanding performance in this important position, he was recognized with a second Legion of Merit and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

In 1979, Joe Franklin became one of the first members of the Class of 1955 to be promoted to Brigadier General, and soon afterwards was selected to be the Commandant of Cadets at West Point. It was a turbulent period in the Military Academy's history. A serious cheating scandal had brought intense scrutiny to the institution, and West Point was also preparing to graduate its first class with female cadets. With recommendations from a Blue-Ribbon panel, General Franklin worked with the Cadet Chairman of the Honor Committee to develop the initiatives that shaped new policies strengthening the Honor Code and Honor System. Another of his highly successful innovations was persuading the Army's personnel center to assign one senior non-commissioned officer as the 'Tac NCO' for each cadet battalion.

Following a tour of duty as Assistant Division Commander of the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii in 1982-83, General Franklin's special talents earned him another call from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take an important assignment as Chief of the Joint US Military Assistance and Advisory Group in Spain.

Spain was poised to become a member of the European Economic Community when he arrived. This new democracy had just entered NATO, and many critical diplomatic and military issues had to be addressed and resolved. Using his great interpersonal skills, General Franklin was instrumental in ensuring that Spain would become an important partner for peace. When his tour of duty ended, he was awarded Spain's highest decoration for military service and the US Army Distinguished Service Medal.

Following his retirement from active duty in 1987, Joe Franklin entered the world of business in the private sector. Initially remaining in Spain, he began his service in the corporate world by forming a Spanish corporation, Franklin Sociedad Anonima, which consulted for US corporations seeking business in Spain, as well as for Spanish companies seeking business in the United States. In 1992, he was recruited (delete 'in 1992') to lead Frequency Electronics, Inc., located in New York. Serving as Chairman and CEO, he led FEI through a complex series of legal and administrative transactions that positioned the company to become a highly profitable and valuable contributor to the US defense, space, and telecommunications industries. He stepped down as CEO in 1999, but remains Chairman of the Board.

Building from the broad array of personal and professional skills he had honed through both his military service and his private business career, Joe Franklin made a conscious decision: he would turn his attention, and his impressive talents, to giving back to West Point. He began his contributions to the Association of Graduates in 1993 with service on the Alumni Support Committee. He was subsequently elevated to the Board of Trustees, appointed Chairman of the Alumni Support Committee, and was finally elected Vice Chairman of the AOG, where he served for four years. In this capacity, he was a driving force behind the Bicentennial Campaign for the Military Academy, helping structure, guide and lead the AOG development team that made the Bicentennial Campaign an unprecedented success: exceeding its $150 million goal by $75 million. He was also instrumental in orchestrating the many changes necessary to bring governance of the AOG into the 21st century and into compliance with the new statutes associated with not-for-profit organizations.

Thoughtful, forthright and modest, Joe Franklin is the epitome of a professional. He has repeatedly proven his dedication to the ideals of West Point in the 52 years since his graduation. As a Soldier, businessman, and leader of the Association of Graduates, he has made all graduates proud to call him a West Pointer. In short, Joe has been, is, and will continue to be a leader's leader.

Accordingly, the Association of Graduates takes great pride in presenting the 2007 Distinguished Graduate Award to Joseph P. Franklin.


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Chairman, Distinguished Graduate Award Committee
Association of Graduates, USMA
West Point, NY 10996

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The Class of 1955 is honored to nominate our classmate, Major General Joseph Powel Franklin, US Army (Retired) for the Distinguished Graduate award. Throughout his military and civilian business careers, Joe Franklin has shown the qualities of selfless service and dedication to his country and to West Point. He has exemplified our motto Duty, Honor, Country.

Joe's academic skills allowed him to select the Corps of Engineers as his branch of choice at graduation. After branch schooling, which included Parachute and Ranger qualification, he served with Combat Engineer units in Europe. In 1959 he was selected to attend MIT where he earned Masters Degrees in both Civil and Nuclear Engineering.

After MIT, he reported for duty with the Nuclear Power Field Office of the Army's Nuclear Power Program. In this assignment, he led efforts in two unique and pioneering projects: the first was the design of the world's first floating nuclear power plant that could be used for expeditionary or emergency service anywhere in the world; the second was the removal of a 'portable' nuclear power plant located on the Greenland icecap and the safe return of its components, many highly radioactive, to the US. He brought both of these unique tasks to a successful conclusion.

He next completed the Engineer Officers' Advanced Course and was selected to be an instructor in the Department of Military Art and Engineering at West Point. Joe took over the Nuclear Engineering Course. He wrote the full year curriculum for First Class Cadets who took this course in lieu of the regular Engineering course. For 40 years this course has remained essentially unchanged. In 2005 the course he designed was elevated to and offered as a Major Course of Study.

After completing a year at the School of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College in 1969, Joe was assigned as Commander of the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion in the Republic of Vietnam. There he led his Battalion in operations in the Central Highlands and in the reduction of enemy sanctuaries in Cambodia. For his combat success, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and two Air Medals.

Franklin's follow on assignment from Vietnam was to the Office of Plans and Policy, the J-5 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There he used his nuclear training and field experience to write the study that was the basis for recasting our nuclear arsenal under the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). While in that assignment, Joe was selected for the Army War College in 1972. Shortly before graduation he was pulled out of the War College and reassigned to the JCS as the Army Staff Group Executive to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For his outstanding performance in this important position he was recognized with a second Legion of Merit and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

In 1976, as we moved to an All-Volunteer Army, Joe was selected to command the 4th Basic Combat Training (BCT) Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He successfully merged two training brigades together under his command, greatly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the training programs while producing the Army's first young volunteer soldiers. Joe's command tour ended in 1977 when he was again recalled to the JCS to be the first Army officer to serve as the Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff. His primary responsibility was to oversee the Agenda for the meetings of the Joint Chiefs in their private conference room, 'the tank.' While assigned there, in 1979 Franklin became one of the first members of the Class of 1955 to be promoted to Brigadier General.

Soon afterwards, the USMA Superintendent General Andrew Goodpaster selected him to be the Commandant of Cadets. This was in the wake of a serious 'cheating scandal;' these were difficult times for West Point. With recommendations from a Blue-Ribbon Panel, Franklin worked with the Cadet Chairman of the Honor Committee to develop the initiatives that shaped new policies strengthening the Honor Code and the Honor System. It was here also that he and his wife Connie formed a team that provided an inspiring climate for the first young women to enter and graduate from the Military Academy. He traveled the country and overseas to tell the complete story of today's Academy and its contributions, a true ambassador for West Point.

Also during his tour as Commandant, Franklin took the initiative to fill a void in the education of West Point's new lieutenants: interface with the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps, the backbone and muscle of the Army. Franklin persuaded the Army's personnel center to assign one senior non-commissioned officer as the 'Tac NCO' for each Cadet Battalion. This pioneering concept was so well received by the Cadets, the Academy, and the Army; it was expanded and made a permanent part of the USCC organization. Today a 'Tac NCO' is assigned to each of the 44 Cadet Companies.

Joe departed West Point to become the Assistant Division Commander of the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii in 1982-83. There he served with distinction that soon won him a special call from the Chief of Staff to take an important assignment as Chief of the Joint US Military Assistance and Advisory Group in Madrid, Spain.

Spain had just qualified as a member of the European Economic Community when Franklin arrived. This new democracy was poised to enter NATO, and many diplomatic and military issues had to be resolved. Sensitive negotiations that he participated in helped Spain to enter NATO and to reach a new Base Rights Agreement for US Forces in Spain. The Spanish Armed Forces were also preparing to modernize as a prerequisite to joining the Alliance. The sale to Spain of some of America's most powerful armaments were among his most important responsibilities. Using his great interpersonal skills, Franklin was instrumental in ensuring Spain's becoming an important partner for peace. When his tour of duty ended, he was awarded Spain's highest decoration for military service and the Army's Distinguished Service Medal.

After his retirement from the Army in 1987, he remained in Spain and began his service in the corporate world, forming FSA, Franklin Sociedad Anonima. Together with his wife Connie, FSA consulted for US Corporations involved with the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and the World's Fair in Seville. Joe's work at FSA also brought Spanish Companies to the United States where, for the first time, they were allowed to make direct investments in American industry. Conversely, he also helped a number of US Companies make initial investments in Spain, increasing the economic well-being of both countries.

Because of his successes at FSA, Franklin was recruited in 1992 by the Vice Chairman of Bear Stearns, a New York financial firm, to lead Frequency Electronics, Inc., an American Stock Exchange company that had been accused of overcharging and was indicted and suspended from government contracting. He was appointed Chairman and CEO of the company. Calling on his outstanding leadership and rock solid integrity, he finally was able to reach an agreement with the Justice Department that preserved the Company's assets and gave it a platform to rebuild the business it had lost. Since then the company has prospered and has been a valuable contributor to the US defense, space, and telecommunications industries. Franklin stepped down as CEO in 1999 but remains Chairman of the Board.

Throughout his years of military service and afterwards, Joe has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Class of 1955. He was elected the second Class President in 1972. In that role, he led the initiative to recast the class Constitution, providing for election of new Class Officers every five years. Ever since voluntarily stepping down in 1980 in favor of the next elected Class President, Joe has remained active in supporting the Class. As a Class Officer, Committee Member, Committee Chair, a leading contributor to many fund raising efforts, a proponent for and supporter of all Class activities, and as one who can be called upon whenever the need arises, Joe has always come through.

Joe has also been an active supporter of the Association of Graduates. After he returned to the US in 1993 he joined the Alumni Support Committee, was later selected as a Trustee, became the Chair of the Alumni Support Committee and finally was elected Vice Chairman of the AOG. One of his major contributions to the AOG and in turn to West Point, and another pioneering 'first,' was Joe's bringing the idea of 'Friends of West Point' from concept to reality. These 'Friends' are non-West Point graduates who support the Military Academy, its mission, and its values but never before had official recognition as a group. Under Franklin's guidance and leadership, this support group was added to the AOG, helping to strengthen the Academy and formally recognize the significant contributions made by 'Friends of West Point' from around the country and the world.

Returning to the home from which they both came, Joe and Connie Franklin are developing a large tract of land on Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. They have played a prominent role in the resurgent prosperity of that region of Appalachia, once one of the poorest parts of America. By giving back to the site of their early upbringing through their contributions to the economy and to many charitable programs of that region, the Franklin's have established themselves as pillars of their community.

Even as he is undertaking this challenging work, he is putting the finishing touches on a book, Building Leaders the West Point Way, which will be published in the Spring of 2007, a fitting coda to the outstanding career of this distinguished graduate. I can think of no finer exemplar of Duty, Honor, Country than Joseph Powel Franklin.

Carl H. McNair, Jr.
Major General, US Army (Retired)
President, Class of 1955


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Joe Franklin's Leadership Book (2007)

Major General Joseph P. Franklin (ret.) believes almost everything that he is as an adult can be traced back to his days at West Point, where he was not only a cadet but an instructor, football coach, and eventually Commandant of Cadets. U.S. Military Academy graduates are found at the highest levels in every walk of life: military, education, business, medicine, law, and government. 'But,' says Franklin, 'you don't have to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy to embrace its ideals or to benefit from the wisdom that is taught there. Competent, even inspiring, leadership is within the grasp of nearly everyone.' The principles of leadership-including Duty, Honor, Faith, Courage, Perseverance, Confidence, Approachability, Adaptability, Compassion, and Vision-can be internalized and polished to one's own level of expertise and ambition.

'I have known Joe Franklin, since the late 1970s, when I coached at West Point and he was the Commandant of Cadets. General Joe is well-known by the many people whose lives he has touched as a truly thoughtful, approachable, and compassionate human being. He has written a very readable book using examples drawn from his personal experience to illustrate key principles of leadership, a subject I have studied and practiced for most of my adult life. His simple, honest, easy to understand text is a welcome addition to the references available to leaders, young and old alike. This book will definitely help you become a better leader. The General is one of the best ever!', Mike 'Coach K' Kryzewski, Duke University Basketball Coach.


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Building Leaders the West Point Way: Ten principles from the Nation's most powerful leadership lab. By MG Joseph Franklin '55, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2007. Hard cover, 224 pages. Reviewed by COL Thomas A. Kolditz, Head, Department of Behavioral Science & Leadership.

Any aspiring leader in the public, social, or private sector would find it beneficial to sit for an hour or so, perhaps over lunch, and pick the brain of a former Commandant of Cadets. These great officers spend years honing their leadership in the Army and then come to West Point to set the leadership and ethical culture in the Corps. MG Franklin's book is a series of brief essays on ten of the leadership principles that characterize 'the West Point way.' Reading this book is like having the perfect noontime conversation with a Commandant.

The foreword by GEN Norman Schwarzkopf makes clear that the book has a broad audience. he writes that '(T)aken together, these ten principles form the building blocks for a successful career in leadership in every walk of life, be it in the military, profit or non-profit corporations, teaching, or coaching.' Chapters on duty, honor, faith, courage, perseverance, confidence, approachability, adaptability, compassion, and vision are gems of common sense reasoning about how to be a leader. There are many fine qualities inherent to this book, but the best quality is its insistence that leadership is less a collection of techniques than it is a way of living one's life.

As I read through the book, I was on the lookout for indications that this work by a former Commandant somehow would be dated. I stopped short at a sentence in the chapter on confidence that spoke of 'the everyday life of soldiers, training for combat that may never occur,' because in the current 'long war,' combat is now viewed as virtually inevitable by soldiers and cadets alike. Yet the context for this sentence was in a discussion of the importance of failure in development-one of the more progressive ideas in leader development today. As I finished the book, I felt that it was not only a good read, but included so many fundamental principles that it is genuinely timeless.

General Franklin makes clear that, in his view, 'leadership is more caught than taught,' a statement I find somewhat less ironic in a speech, rather than a book. Yet this book will serve as an enjoyable primer that will teach many aspiring leaders how to catch the essence of leadership as it will always exist, here at West Point.


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Bloomberg Businessweek Article

Learning from the 'Long Gray Line"

August 22, 2007

A former commandant of the Corps of Cadets at West Point talks about a new book on leadership and what it means to MBA students.

A former college football coach and commandant of the Corps of Cadets at West Point, retired Major General Joseph Franklin has lots of experience in prepping young people for leadership roles. That's why when colleagues suggested he write a book, he thought it was a good idea. Members of the committee that created a book commemorating the West Point bicentennial convinced him, he says, by suggesting his own book would be a good opportunity to pass on his knowledge.

In Building Leaders the West Point Way: Ten Principles from the Nation's Most Powerful Leadership Lab, Franklin outlines the traits necessary for being an effective leader - and how you can acquire them. He uses his experiences in the military to highlight his points. The book has been well received by the West Point community, and one alum, who is earning his MBA from the University of Richmond, recently got in touch with Franklin about teaching a course on the book at his school.

Franklin recently chatted with BusinessWeek.com reporter Francesca Di Meglio. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:

What is the connection between West Point cadets and MBA students?

I'll relate one story from a very close friend of mine who was a marvelous athlete and scholar. After his tour of duty in the Army, he went to business school at Harvard and worked in the Office of Admissions. The director of admissions was a Harvard hard-liner and was magnificently informed and experienced in the field. When my colleague first walked into his office, the director said to him bluntly, 'If anyone applies here who went to West Point, he will be immediately accepted because [West Point cadets] are the best students we have.' That was quite a statement, I thought. The connection I believe this director was making was that the training, education, and inspiration they experience as military cadets build character. As a result, they can be very successful at any endeavor they decide to undertake.

Why should leaders be physically adept?

Leadership means being able to endure some pretty hard times. You might be deprived of sleep. You have to drive your body to keep going. Your physical condition parallels mental conditioning. Mental and physical toughness are both required - not that one has to be a champion athlete. Rather, you have to be well conditioned physically and mentally to stand up to the rigors of leadership.

What did you mean when you wrote that leadership is 'something you catch'?

'Caught more than taught,' which is the specific phrase I use, is catchy. [Leadership] is taught, and we work hard at it in our MBA programs, leadership courses at the academy, and in subsequent courses within the Army. Caught means you're watching other people - both subordinates and superiors - and you pick up little tidbits of information and experience from watching how they perform. You watch both the things they do right and wrong. I use the term 'caught' to indicate that you are picking things up from other people. I do write as well about the fact that good leadership is one of learning from and teaching others about failure in the hopes that we don't repeat mistakes. 'Caught more than taught' means that you can't sit in a classroom of a leadership course and expect to go out and be successful right off the bat. You have to pick it up from experience.

You write that even great leaders must realize their place in the universe has limits. What are your limits?

I know I'm not the greatest leader. I'm not a MacArthur, an Eisenhower, a Lincoln, or a Washington. I'm not going to aspire to reach those levels. It's a long way from where I am to where they were. But I might say, 'I know I can go beyond where I am now.' I'm going to look to the next level and make myself capable and qualified for that as opposed to saying as a young second lieutenant, 'I'm going to be a general of the Army,' and then forgetting about the fact that I'm also going to be a company commander, a battalion commander, a brigade commander, etc. Set your goals as reasonable but reachable. What I really need to be is as good a second lieutenant as I can be and figure that's going to help me be a good first lieutenant when I get to that point.

How does a leader determine the difference between right and wrong?

Some offenses are inexcusable - purposeful lying, purposeful cheating, etc. That's what the honor code [at West Point] requires. The most difficult part, which I have written about, is our nontoleration clause. It was not always there. The honor code didn't even include stealing back in the 1800s. That was considered to be a court-martial offense. The nontoleration clause was added later. It was not in the original honor code. It's an important one for leadership. It really forges character. Being able to stand up in front of one's colleagues and close friends and say that you've done the wrong thing takes real character. It's not something that one has to do all alone. If there's someone in your group who you believe is an offender, confronting that person as someone who wants to help is possible. 'I want to help you. I don't want to hurt you. I think you made a serious mistake, and you're the one who needs to admit it. You shouldn't load it on me to have to report this.' I think that's the way to handle those circumstances. You can't always do it that way when you look at not tolerating the offenses of others.

What role does religion play in a leader's life?

To me, a very important role but not one that has to be visible. The leader does not have to be seen as going to church every Sunday or as a leader of a religious group and so forth. For others of us, who are not that demonstrably religious, it's still within us to recognize that there's a higher power somewhere that guides what happens to us. There is something beyond what we humans can do that shapes the world that we live in. It's one of the key principles [of leadership] because there are things that are beyond our control and that we're just going to have to have faith are going to happen. In simple physical terms, if I jump out of an airplane with a parachute that I've packed, I know that I've done it the right way, and I have faith that it's going to work. There are things that can enter into it of which I have no control and I have then the added faith that those things are going to make it all work the right way.

What could possibly be courageous about a businessperson? (See BusinessWeek.com, 6/19/07, 'What Makes a Business Leader Tick.' )

In business, I find, there's an enormous demand for courage, mostly moral. Moral courage in business requires saying, 'Folks, this is what we're going to do, we're going to go through some difficult times, we're going to have competition that really puts us to the test, we may not find ourselves successful for a while because of the things we have invested that are not paying off the way we had first calculated, but we're going to keep doing that.' There's faith involved obviously. As the picture grows darker, in certain times, it takes real moral courage to come to work every day and say, 'I believe this is the right thing."

How do you build confidence?

Confidence is built from success and what you learn from failure. Having a failed experience means I found something that didn't work. I sat down and figured out why it didn't work, so when I get to doing something again, I'll have confidence that I'll be doing it right. Confidence is important in leadership because it can be communicated. Take the life-or-death experiences we sometimes face in the military. Other folks might be hesitant. They have great trepidation about going out to do something. If you're the leader, you have to communicate to them the confidence that this is going to work. If the leader doesn't have confidence in him or herself, it will be detected by the subordinates. False confidence is a pretty flimsy front. It's not going to last very long.

Do you think leaders have to be mean to be successful?

A leader has to be seen as someone subordinates feel they can approach. I really know that if things go wrong, I can ask him a question. The only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked. I like to communicate that to folks because it makes one understand that you're approachable. A leader who has that sense of humanness is important.

How would you describe vision to an MBA student?

I'd say to someone who is studying business that vision means first and foremost understanding what it is you're trying to do, not just the business itself. 'What is my role? Do I really understand how this small part that is my responsibility fits into the whole?' If I have a good vision of that, then I also have the opportunity to say, 'I see an even better way of fitting into this business.' Getting the job done is first and foremost the priority. But what is it that I'm doing that could be done better?

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How I got my appointment to West Point

I was recruited (if you could call it that way back then) to go to Princeton by their football coach, Charlie Caldwell, most likely because my school played single wing, which was a hallmark of Princeton's football program. My visit to the Princeton campus was pretty wild, and when I got back to the prep school where I had boarded for six years, a teacher who had been an Army officer in WWII asked me about it. I told him what I had seen and how I felt about it, and he said, 'You should go to West Point."

I wrote to my congressman (J.Glenn Beall, sixth district, MD) and he had me take the civil service exam in Dec 1950 in my home town of Cumberland, MD. He subsequently informed me that I had won the principal appointment, so I committed to go to West Point. The Korean War was on and that along with my youthful impressions from WWII were a big influence in that decision. Even so, I did not realize that I would be going into the Army when I graduated from the Academy.

On the first day of Beast Barracks, in my 'plebeskins with 'FRANKLIN' stenciled on the back of my big white belt, a disembodied voice from behind me said: 'New Cadet Franklin, what branch are you going into?' I had no idea what that was all about, so LTC Bill McCaffrey (Barry's father) walked around to face me and informed me that I would be going into the Army when I graduated. This feature of West Point had somehow escaped me until that moment.

Many years later, when I was XO to Admiral Tom Moorer, CJCS, we visited USAREUR and I had dinner with then LTG McCafffrey. I told him about our first encounter in Beast Barracks 1951, and he said he would take full credit for any success I achieved in my Army career. He was the first Army officer I ever spoke to directly and a wonderful man, as were so many others whose influence was a principal reason I served and enjoyed my full Army career.

Joe Franklin
16 AUG 2010


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26 APR 2016 Personal SITREP

Classmates:

I believe it proper for me to report to you that I have been diagnosed with renal cancer in my lungs and bones. After a couple of 'false starts,' I am being treated with 'Opdivo,' the same medicine used on President Jimmy Carter. The bi-weekly treatments just require me to lie down for some two hours while these clear liquids drain from plastic bags into my arms through hypodermic needles. It's quite comfortable and no follow-on effects that I can determine to date.

My prostate and one kidney were surgically removed some 15 years ago when both developed cancer. I believe all of this was probably started by the radiation I took when (some will recall) I was the CO for the removal of that nuclear power plant from Camp Century on the Greenland Ice Cap, back in the early '60's. During initial investigations, I personally measured a general radiation field of 2,000 rads, which I did by myself; prohibited all troops from entering the contaminated areas. This took less than two minutes, so I have lived to fight another day. (I know some of you are well acquainted with the removal of that PM-2A nuclear power plant. It has also been written up in several OCE reports, and in the book I wrote many years later: 'Building Leaders the West Point Way.')

My oncologist tells me there is no cure for cancer; these treatments can reduce some of it and arrest the spread. When these effects first came upon me some three years ago, I lost twenty pounds from my frame, which has always been the same size and shape as when I was a cadet. (Go Army Football!!!) I've gained about five pounds back, but can tell my strength and endurance are down. Everybody says I 'look great,' and I have no predictions to offer, just keep playing golf as best I can and stay positive. (NB: golf scores have moved from the seventies to the nineties; diagnosis: standing too close to the ball after I hit it.) Connie and I are on our annual winter vacation in Naples, Florida, so life is treating us very well at this moment.

No reply required. I know you are praying for many of our classmates, and I offer you my humble appreciation for your support at this time. Go Class of '55! With warmest regards and highest respect always, Joe

Joseph P. Franklin
Major General
US Army (Retired)


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TAPS Check List

1. Cumberland, MD. 28 August 1933 2. Dr. Joseph P. Franklin, Jean Arendes Franklin. Note: father died 1945, mother remarried to G. William Bibby, step-father.

3. One twin sister: Jean Arendes Wittich

4. Graduated 1951 from McDonogh School, Baltimore, MD. Valedectorian, lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, awarded trophy for best all-around student, honorable mention All-Maryland in football.

5. McDonogh was originally a school for orphans. My stepfather was from Baltimore and knew of the school, so sent me there to take the entrance exams in 1945, the day I graduated from grade school. We wore uniforms because some of the boys had little else for clothes. We lived in barracks and worked on the farm before school every day. Many of the teachers were just back from WWII, and one day one of them said to me; 'You should go to West Point.' I took the Civil Service exam at the Cumberland Post Office in November 1950 and then the physical at Walter Reed, wound up with the principal appointment from my local congressman.

6. N/A

7. Day laborer in summers 1948-51 for grandfather's construction company in Cumberland, MD. Drove speedboats for hire on weekends at Deep Creek Lake in Western MD.

8. No military prep school or other college.

9. N/A

10. No prior military service

11. Principal Appointment to USMA by Congressman J. Glenn Beall, 6th District, MD.

12. Roomed with Rich Miller and Fred Knieriem all four years.

13. Friends: room-mates and all K-1 comrades, and fellow members of the football and golf teams; captain of the golf team Dick Auer in particular, and many others from all companies of the Corps.

14. Wife Constance Marie Smith, also a twin born three months to the day after my twin sister and me in the same hospital in Cumberland, MD. Went to each others' birthday parties from age two on, kindergarten and first grade together. Saw each other every summer at Deep Creek Lake growing up, never dated until summer 1954 when on my last night before going back to football camp neither of our dates showed up so we decided to go out with each other.

15. Four sons: William: 6 April 1958 (born in Heidelberg, Gemany), Perry: 18 September 1959, Philip (PJ), 5 May 1962, Dean, 25 February 1964.

16. Author for Taps: wife or son Bill, assisted by Rich Miller and Dick Auer

17. Taps authors are in touch with all possible gap-fillers.

18. Dave Maurer as 2lts in Germany; not assigned with other classmates for 32 years!

19. All military assignments are listed in Register

20. Second career info: see bios submitted separately, plus extensive information detailed in my book: 'Building Leaders the West Point Way.' NB: that book was published in 2007, and includes a great deal of information from my military career as well.

Joe Franklin
24 April 2011


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Local Classmate Assistant (LCA) Information

Class Remembrance: Charity

Preferred Charity: AOG, Class of 1955 Fund

Suggested LCA: Rich Miller



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Joseph Powel Franklin
August 28, 1933 - March 8, 2017

Joseph Powel Franklin was born 28 August, 1933, in Cumberland, Maryland, attended public school through sixth grade. When World War II ended, entered McDonogh School in Baltimore, Maryland, completed high school and won appointment to West Point.

Entered West Point 3 July 1951, lettered in football and golf, and graduated in top ten percent of the Class of 1955. Commissioned in the Corps of Engineers and completed Airborne and Ranger training. He and his wife, Constance Marie Smith, who grew up together, were married in March 1956, and enjoyed the rest of their lives together with their four sons.

First assignment was to Karlsruhe, Germany. Served as platoon leader and company commander in the 499th and 78th Combat Engineer Battalions, and the 502nd Floating Bridge Company. Selected for graduate schooling at MIT in 1959, earned Master's Degrees in Civil and Nuclear Engineering. In 1961 joined the Nuclear Power Field Office at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as Project Manager for the design and construction of the world's first floating nuclear power plant, the SS Sturgis. In 1963 led a team of enlisted specialists to dismantle the nuclear power plant located at Camp Century, on the Greenland icecap, 300 miles from the North Pole. This involved the first-time shutdown and disassembly of an operating nuclear power plant. His team of soldiers accomplished the shutdown, disassembly, and movement of the highly radioactive components of the nuclear power plant to CONUS in eighteen months.

Greenland duty included inspecting the nuclear power plant and measuring residual radiation levels after shutdown, before work began on disassembly.
Did this alone, prohibiting soldiers from entering areas that might be highly radioactive. Actually measured 2,000 Rad field. Took less than two minutes, but absorbing some 60 Rads probably contributed to the cancers that appeared several years later. Cancers required advanced treatment as he reached eighty years old, but never caused him to lose a day of active duty.

In 1965 completed the Engineer Officer's Advanced Course and was assigned to the Department of Military Art and Engineering at West Point. Wrote a new, full-year curriculum in Nuclear Engineering as an alternative for the Civil Engineering course required for all First Class cadets. This course remained unchanged for 40 years, and then was expanded to become a Major Course of Study.

1968 was a year of study at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, followed by assignment in 1969 to US Army Vietnam. Initially oversaw construction of diesel power plants for sites from the Mekong Delta to the northern provinces of South Vietnam. Subsequently commanded the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion, conducting combat operations in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In 1970 assigned to the Office of Plans and Policy, J-5. Led the study that was the basis for recasting the United States' nuclear weapons arsenal under the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). Attended the Army War College in 1972, and was assigned as Army Staff Group Executive for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1973. In 1975 went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to command the 4th and 5th Combat Training Brigades after merging them into a single unit. Transferred back to the Pentagon in 1977 as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff.

In 1979 West Point had a 'cheating scandal' involving take-home exams and women had joined the Corps of Cadets. General Andrew Goodpaster was brought back on active duty as Superintendent, and selected Joe, just promoted to Brigadier General, to be the new Commandant of Cadets. Led the Cadet Honor Committee to review and strengthen the Honor System. Also persuaded the Army to assign a senior non-commissioned officer to each cadet battalion, and later to each cadet company.

In 1982 was assigned to Hawaii as Assistant Division Commander of the 25th Infantry Division. Promoted to Major General in 1983 and assigned as Chief of the Joint US Military Group in Madrid, Spain. Spain had just joined NATO. Worked with the Spanish military to align their Armed Forces with NATO standards. When his tour ended in 1987, he was awarded Spain's highest decoration for foreign military officers.

Retired in Spain and formed a Spanish company: Franklin Sociedad Anonima. Worked with American companies to expand business in Spain, and Spanish companies to do the same in the US. In 1992 returned to the United States when he was recruited to become the Chairman and CEO of Frequency Electronics, Inc. (FEIC) an American Stock Exchange Company that designs and builds high precision timing and frequency components for space, defense, and commercial applications. FEIC and four senior executives had been indicted on charges that included a number of highly classified space contracts. Brought this case to a satisfactory conclusion, exonerating all four officers who had been indicted. Stepped down from CEO in 2002 and remains Chairman of the Board at FEIC.

Turned his attention to giving back to West Point, and began his service with the Association of Graduates in 1993 on the Alumni Support Committee. Elected to the Board of Trustees, appointed Chairman of the Alumni Support Committee, and Vice Chairman of the AOG, where he served for four years. Was a driving force behind the Bicentennial Campaign, exceeding its $150 million goal by $75 million. Also orchestrated many changes that brought governance of the AOG into compliance with new statutes associated with not-for-profit organizations.

In 2007 was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of West Point. Throughout his life of service as an Army officer, scholar, diplomat, and business leader, Joseph P. Franklin dedicated himself to the principles of Duty, Honor, Country.

General Franklin is survived by his wife of 61 years, Constance, four sons, Bill, Perry, Philip and Dean, eight grandchildren and a sister Jean Wittich , Baltimore, Maryland. Memorial contributions may be made to the West Point AOG Class of '55 or charity of choice. Visitation: March 18, 2-6 PM at Murphy Funeral Home 4510 Wilson Blvd. Arlington VA. Interment at Arlington Cemetery, at a later date.

The Washington Post
March 15, 2017


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Classmates:

Joe will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. It usually takes a couple of months for Arlington to set a date. I will keep you informed.

Prior to the Arlington funeral, a visitation scheduled for Saturday, March 18 from 2PM until 6PM at the Murphy Funeral Home. The address of the funeral home is: 4510 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203.

In lieu of flowers Joe had requested contributions be made to the AOG Class of '55 Gift Fund or charity of your choice. The monies for the traditional wreath given by the class? will be contributed to the AOG Class of '55 Gift Fund.

Please share your memories or express your condolences at the West Point Association of Graduates website:

http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/20207/

Click on 'Start The Discussion'.

The Murphy Funeral Home also maintains a Guest Book for the same purpose. Their website is:

http://murphyfuneralhomes.com

Look for Joe's name under OBITUARIES & SERVICES. Then click on Joe's name to find the Guest Book.

Rich Miller, LCA
703-780-3765
15 March 2017


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General Officer Death Announcement
MG(R) Franklin

It is with deep regret that we inform you of the following General Officer deaths:

MG(R) Joseph P. Franklin passed away on 8 March 2017. MG(R) Franklin retired in 1987 after over 32 years of service. During the latter part of his career, he served as Assistant Division Commander, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and later served as Chief, Military Assistance and Advisory Group, Spain. MG(R) Franklin is survived by his wife, Constance.

6 April 2017


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Burial Details

Classmates: Joe Franklin will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on Friday, December 22, 2017. The chapel service will begin at 1300 at the Old Post Chapel at Ft. Myer. We are asked to arrive at the chapel at 1215. After the chapel service you will drive in your car to the grave site in the adjacent Arlington Cemetery following the honor guard, band, and horse drawn caisson. This is a brief committal ceremony. After the graveside ceremony you will drive from the cemetery to the near-by Ft. Myers Officers Club for the reception to honor Joe's life.

If you are planning to attend, Connie and I would like to know if you are coming. This will help us with the logistics of the reception and arranging transportation for those who may have trouble getting around Ft. Myer. Security at Ft. Myer will be a problem for those without a car and DOD ID (active or retired).

If you are coming from out of town and need a place to stay, or won't have a car, or don't have a DOD ID, contact me and I will send you a letter from Connie full of instructions/suggestions.

Grip hands.

Rich Miller, LCA
eaglesailor75@cox.net
703 780 3765
11 SEP 2017


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JOE FRANKLIN WAS BID FAREWELL TODAY ... 22 DECEMBER 2017

Several hundred classmates, family, and friends met at the Old Post Chapel, on Ft. Myer, next to Arlington National Cemetery today, at 1pm, to say farewell to someone dear who touched all their lives. The crowd filled all the pews and the aisles on the sides and rear of the chapel. A contingent of West Point cadets, in dress grey uniforms stood at the back.

The day was partly cloudy, temperature in the low fifties with light winds. Just enough wind to extend the two star general's flag and the US flag which preceded the casket to Joe's final resting place, high on a hill overlooking row upon row of headstones, marking other hero's graves. It was three days before Christmas and all the stark white headstones were individually decorated with green pine wreaths and red ribbons.

Chaplain (Capt) Eric Bryan, Class of '95, conducted the chapel service.

The Superintendant of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, LTG Robert Caslen, gave the eulogy, a heartfelt sentiment of what we all knew and loved about Joe.

Joe's sons paid tribute to their father.

Over twenty members of the West Point Alumni Glee Club sang 'Mansions of the Lord' as the honor guard carried Joe's ashes to the front of the chapel. They ended the service singing the West Point Alma Mater and the words which so well applied to Joe, 'May it be said well done, Be thou at peace."

Joe's ashes were carried down the aisle, by the honor guard. General Caslen escorted Connie, and the family followed, out of the chapel to a flag draped casket on a waiting horse drawn gun caisson. An Army band and marching honor guard of soldiers from the famed 'Old Guard Regiment' proceeded the caisson as did a rider-less, dark brown, cavalry horse with two well shined boots pointing backwards in the stirrups. Those who were able to walk a half mile to the gravesite followed Connie and family on foot. The rest followed in a long cavalcade of cars.

MG Paul Hurley, Chief of Chaplains, US Army, conducted graveside services which included a thirteen gun cannon salute, three volleys by a seven member firing party and the playing of 'Taps.' The Honor Guard carefully folded the flag which had draped the urn and it was handed to Connie. I was unable to see who said this from where I stood, but it expressed the feelings of us all, 'General Franklin, you have served the flag and now the flag serves you.' Red roses were laid by the family on the urn. In the distance, the music of a bag piper, playing 'Going Home' and 'Amazing Grace', marked the end of the graveside services.

All in attendance were invited to the Ft. Myer Officers Club for a reception following the services, to honor and celebrate Joe's life. A number of Joe's old friends came forward to share some memories of time spent with Joe during his lifetime of service in the Army and after retirement.

Among our classmates who attended besides me and Mary Ann were:

Tom and Ruth Horst
Dick Auer
Dave and Caye Wheeler
Carl McNair
Dan and Donna Ludwig
Ted Gay
Dick Traut
Zach Hagedorn
Jack Doyle
Bob and Pat Strati
Lorna Malooley
Trudy Johnson
Ed and Betsy Anderson
Bill and Joan McCulla
Don Hilbert
Greta Mason
Matt and Betty Schepps
Mea Culpa ... if I missed someone.

To view photos taken during Joe's funeral, please go to:

https://www.mattoxphotographyanc.com/viewyourphotos


Enter FRANKLIN2017 (not case sensitive) as the password.

Rich Miller
Joe's roommate, teammate, and LCA



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Joe Franklin Eulogy
Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr.
USMA Superintendent








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Perry Emerson Franklin

Perry Emerson Franklin, son of Connie and Joe passed away on January 20 with Connie and his brothers by his side. He died after a brief and brave struggle with liver cancer. We are heartbroken, but it is comforting to know that he is with his Dad now.

There will be a gathering on Sunday February 3, from 12 to 3 pm, at the Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington 22203. There will be a Celebration of Perry's life at a later date.

Condolences can be sent to:

Constance Franklin
1401 N. Oak Street G-1
Arlington, VA 22209"

Be thou at peace, Perry.

Rich Miller
25 January 2019


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Joseph Powel Franklin 1955

Cullum No. 20207-1955 - March 8, 2017
Died in Arlington, VA
Cremated. To be interred in Arlington National Cemetery,
Arlington, VA December 22, 2017

Joseph P. 'Joe' Franklin was born in Cumberland, MD and attended public school through the sixth grade there. He entered the McDonogh School, Baltimore, MD, and graduated in 1951 with an appointment to West Point.

Joe entered West Point on July 3, 1951, lettered in football and golf, and graduated in the top 10 percent of the Class of 1955. He was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers then completed Airborne and Ranger training.

He and his wife, Constance Marie Smith, grew up together and were married in March 1956. They enjoyed the rest of their lives together with their four sons.
Joe's first assignment was to Karlsruhe, Germany, where he served as a platoon leader and company commander in the 499th and 78th Combat Engineer Battalions and the 502nd Floating Bridge Company. Selected for graduate schooling at MIT in 1959, Joe earned master's degrees in civil and nuclear engineering.

In 1961, Joe joined the Nuclear Power Field Office at Fort Belvoir, VA as project manager for the design and construction of the world's first floating nuclear power plant, the SS Sturgis. In 1963, he led a team of enlisted specialists to dismantle the nuclear power plant at Camp Century, located on the Greenland ice cap, 300 miles from the North Pole. This involved the first-time shutdown and disassembly of an operating nuclear power plant. In 18 months, his team of soldiers accomplished the shutdown, disassembly, and movement of the highly radioactive components of the nuclear power plant to CONUS.

Greenland duty included inspecting the nuclear power plant and measuring residual radiation levels after shutdown before work began on disassembly. Joe did this alone; he prohibited soldiers from entering areas that might be highly radioactive (those areas actually measured 2,000 rads). It took less than two minutes, but Joe absorbed some 60 rads, which probably contributed to the cancers that appeared in him several years later.

In 1965, Joe completed the Engineer Officer Advanced Course and was assigned to the Department of Military Art and Engineering at West Point. He wrote a new, full-year curriculum in nuclear engineering as an alternative for the civil engineering course required for all First Class cadets.

After studying for a year in 1968 at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, Joe was assigned, in 1969, to U.S. Army Vietnam. Initially, he oversaw construction of diesel power plants for sites from the Mekong Delta to the northern provinces of South Vietnam. Subsequently, he commanded the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion, conducting combat operations in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In 1970, Joe was assigned to the Office of Plans and Policy, J5. He led the study that was the basis for recasting the United States' nuclear weapons arsenal under the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). He attended the Army War College in 1972, then was assigned as Army Staff Group Executive for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1973. In 1975, Joe went to Fort Knox, KY to command the 4th and 5th Combat Training Brigades, after merging them into a single unit. He transferred back to the Pentagon in 1977 as special assistant to the director of the Joint Staff.

In 1979, West Point had a 'cheating scandal' involving take-home exams; women also had recently joined the Corps of Cadets. General Andrew Goodpaster '39 was brought back on active duty as Superintendent, and he selected Brigadier General Joe to be the new Commandant of Cadets. He led the Cadet Honor Committee to review and strengthen the Honor System. He also persuaded the Army to assign a senior non-commissioned officer to each cadet battalion and later to each cadet company.

In 1982, Joe was assigned to Hawaii as assistant division commander of the 25th Infantry Division. He was promoted to major general in 1983 and assigned as Chief of the Joint U.S. Military Group in Madrid, Spain. Spain had just joined NATO. Joe worked with the Spanish military to align their armed forces with NATO standards. When his tour ended in 1987, he was awarded Spain's highest decoration for foreign military officers.

Joe retired in Spain and formed a Spanish company, Franklin Sociedad Anonima. He worked with American companies to expand business in Spain and with Spanish companies to do the same in the United States. In 1992, he returned to the United States when he was recruited to become the chairman and CEO of Frequency Electronics, Inc. (FEIC), an American Stock Exchange company that designs and builds high-precision timing and frequency components for space, defense, and commercial applications. FEIC and four senior executives had been indicted on charges that included a number of highly classified space contracts. Joe brought this case to a satisfactory conclusion, exonerating all four officers who had been indicted. He stepped down from CEO in 2002 and remained chairman of the board at FEIC.

Joe turned his attention to giving back to West Point and began his service with the Association of Graduates in 1993 on the Alumni Support Committee. He was elected to the Board of Trustees, appointed chairman of the Alumni Support Committee and then vice chairman of the AOG, where he served for four years. Joe was a driving force behind the Bicentennial Campaign, which exceeded its $150 million goal by $75 million.

Joe wrote and published a book: Building Leaders the West Point Way: Ten Principles from the Nation's Most Powerful Leadership Lab.

In 2007, Joe was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of West Point. Throughout his life of service as an Army officer, scholar, diplomat, and business leader, Joe dedicated himself to the principles of Duty, Honor, Country.

TAPS Memorial Article


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