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My Friend Frank - The Greatest Generation


Couchrocket

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Couchrocket

I have a friend and neighbor. His name is Frank Buck. Yeah, that's really his name. If you've driven in southern California you've been on freeways, overpasses and bridges he's either helped build or has maintained and repaired. He worked as a lead working supervisor for Cal Trans for many years.

 

Frank is 89 this year. His health has been in fairly rapid decline for a couple of years. He's tough. His macular degeneration got to the point about three years ago that he turned in the keys to his pick-up. He told me at the time that the thought of being the cause of an accident was too high a price to pay for his ability to get around when, and however he liked. He's tough.

 

At that time we started going out to breakfast once a week on Thursday mornings. Then we hit the grocery store, bank, pharmacy and whatever else we needed to do to stock up for the week. I initiated the breakfast idea in order to keep it from seeming like I was doing him a favor or something. Little did I know I was signing myself up for one hell of an education and the opportunity to get to know someone who would make my life so much richer. We've gotten busier over the years.

 

Frank lived in a railroad car as young fellow just out of "telegraph" school. He was working as a telegrapher for the railroad and was assigned out in the middle of the desert. The box car was the accommodations they provided.

 

In the military he was also in communications and spent his time in the Pacific doing "2nd landings" following the combat troops ashore to set up communications. Once an island was secure, they'd help with the communications for the air field that was built - then move on to the next invasion.

 

Frank could fix anything. Mechanical, electrical, structural. Frank collected and was fascinated by minerals and gem stones. Frank made all the custom cabinets in all the houses he owned over the years. Frank doesn't owe anyone a dime. Frank owns his own home and everything in it. Frank has some money in the bank - he's far from wealthy, but has been frugal and has saved his whole life.

 

Frank is a Golden Eagle member of the NRA. He's hunted and fished his whole life.

 

Frank is opinionated, yet kind. Frank is so honest you could bet everything you own on his word and a hand shake.

 

Frank is a man of honor.

 

Here's frank at breakfast this morning:

 

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Here's frank and a couple of buddies on Guadalcanal in WWII - posing in front of risqué nose paint on a B-24. Frank is the handsome young feller in the middle.

 

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As we approach the celebration of our freedom here in the USA - I want to remember that we owe it in our time to a lot of guys like Frank Buck. I'm privileged to know him.

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Firefight911

Beautiful Scott.

 

No words necessary beyond, Thank you Frank Buck. The buck truly stops there.

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Thank's Scott......We need to honor these survivors of that generation who gave so much for our Country......To the "Me" generations since, these men and women who were willing to sacrifice so much are all but unknown and departing at a very rapid pace...They are my heroes......Thank you Frank.......

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Frank.

:clap:

 

My neighbor is a WWII vet.

Mostly deaf and not too steady afoot.

I cut their grass.

He did plenty for me before I was born.

 

My dad earned 2 purple hearts, silver star, 2 bronze stars before he was 19.

Never graduated from high school or college, but did graduate from BC law school. That was the only degree he earned.

They are the Greatest Generation.

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Everyone needs to have a Frank in their lives.

 

 

The USA would be a much stronger country if most of our younger generation had a Frank in their lives. Thank you Frank.

 

BTW - The picture of Frank and his cohorts in front of the B-24 reminded me of the book I just finished "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. Highly recommended. Oh, and be ready to shed a tear or two for any POW.

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AdventurePoser
Your life is richer knowing him. Great post, Scott! Not knowing him, it still seems we'd all be better off if we practiced life as Frank has!
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We celebrate the 4th of July as our independence. It came with great strength, vision, courage, and sacrafice.

 

Frank, and the generation from WW II is the generation that fought once again for the libertys and privledges we enjoy and have in this country today.

 

Most won't talk about it, not even when asked, but if you ever get the chance to talk to a WW II vet and have them share a bit with you, you will forever be grateful you did.

 

Thank you Frank for just doing whatever it took, no matter what. I will probably never get to meet you, but I will never forget you.

 

Let us not forget!

 

Happy July 4th and thanks to all the Frank's of the world that made this country and our way of life possible.

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W. Mazelin
Beautiful Scott.

 

No words necessary beyond, Thank you Frank Buck. The buck truly stops there.

+1

 

+ 1 more. Thanks Frank; thanks.

 

A couple of weeks ago I was on the patio of Henderson, NV at a coffee shop with a buddy of mine. I saw an old man in a baseball cap get out of a car, get his wheeled walker squared away and watched as he approached the door. As he came closer, I saw his hat was a "WW-II Veteran" cap, close to the crown of the cap was a small CIB (Combat Infantry Badge) (a pale blue horizontal bar with a musket on it) I got up to get the door for him and said, "I see the CIB on your cap, sir; where did you serve in WW-II?" He said "France and Germany." I responded with "Well, sir, I'm much obliged to you." As is so common with men of his age, he then thanked me for thanking him; a humble old soldier. A chance encounter at a coffee shop.

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Everyone needs to have a Frank in their lives.

 

 

Indeed

 

And beans too! :grin:

 

What I see about his generation is how they could make things happen very quickly. Need to build bombers, hey ford can you handle that? No problem! We need a hundred cargo ships built by the end of the month, done! Can we have some housewives learn to fly & get our top line fighters to where they need to be? Absolutely!

 

Very brave men & women serving today but Frank's generation made things happen now!

 

Thank you Frank!

 

Pat

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Everyone needs to have a Frank in their lives.

 

 

Indeed

 

My dad, mentioned above, was called Frank.

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