Fred A.W. (Bill) Franke, Jr.

Bill Franke entered the Navy V-12 Program at Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston, Louisiana, in January 1944, and served with the Navy ROTC Unit at Rice Institute in Houston, Texas, from November 1945 to February 1946, entering the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in March 1946. He received an honorable discharge from the Aviation Cadet Program on December 6, 1946, but reentered the program on August 27, 1948, receiving his commission as an Ensign in the Navy on the same day. Ensign Franke completed the Aviation Cadet Program and was designated a Naval Aviator at NAS Pensacola, Florida, and then served as an F4U-4 Corsair and F9F-5 Panther pilot with VF-73 at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island. Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Franke next completed U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NATC Patuxent River, Maryland, followed by service as a Project Test Pilot at Pax River. Lieutenant Franke served as an Instructor with the Test Pilot School at Pax River and then served as an F3H-2M Demon pilot with VF-61 at NAS Norfolk, Virginia. His next assignment was as a Training and Tactics Officer with Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, followed by Naval War College at NS Newport, Rhode Island. Lieutenant Commander Franke then returned to the Test Pilot School at NATC Patuxent River, serving as an Instructor and Project Test Pilot. He attended F-4 Phantom II Replacement Air Group training with VF-121 at NAS Miramar, California, and then served as Executive Officer of VF-21 at NAS Miramar from December 1963 to November 1964. Commander Franke was Commander of VF-21 from November 1964 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on August 24, 1965.

Pre-Capture Photograph: The Golden Eagles, Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association