Dyslexia – Franklin J. Macon

December 14, 2021December 14, 2021Blog

Franklin Macon, Original Documented Tuskegee Airman – by Stephanie Prescott, Joyful Traditions Partner

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank several times during the writing process of his early life story, I Wanted to be a Pilot – The Making of a Tuskegee Airman. It was published in 2018. Frank was a special person, always happy with a quick wit. He didn’t pretend to know all about everything, but he did love his own story and his generation. Frank was born August 4, 1923. His early life circumstances today would be considered sad or disadvantaged. To Frank it was wonderful. It’s what made his story great and his perseverance unstoppable.

January 21, 2019December 14, 2021Blog

Fridays with Frank!

When your dream becomes a reality, it’s a BIG day! Franklin Macon, Original Documented Tuskegee Airman, and Elizabeth Harper crossed paths in what would become a wonderful friendship and history making opportunity for both of them. They met years ago in passing. Later, thanks to dear friends Chris and Cindy Knapp, they met again. Frank always tinkered at Bo Steal Chris’s metal shop. During Chris and Cindy’s anniversary dinner, Liz asked how Frank was doing. Chris responded, “He’s great. His 92nd Birthday is coming up, and I’d love to get him in the air again.” Liz thought, “We live at the United State Air Force Academy, somehow we should be able to make this happen.”

December 24, 2018December 14, 2021Blog

Curious Frank

You’ve heard of Curious George before, well that’s how Frank was as a child and still is today! Frank says he always wanted to learn how things worked. How clocks ticked. How airplanes flew. He wasn’t so keen on learning to read or simple math. Those concepts were hard for him, he didn’t know why at the time, but he learned as an adult that he had dyslexia. Words and numbers jumped around on the paper. That’s why taking items apart and putting them back together is so much easier for Frank. Physical pieces and parts couldn’t move around in his mind.