In true Frank fashion, he worked to the very end. In the month prior to his passing, at the age of 97 Frank did more in three weeks than many do in a decade. For those of you who knew Frank, you know there were no excuses. He could no longer walk, but he was not to be stopped and he was going to look good doing it. If he could help a student or share history, he would do just that.
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The Air Force Academy paid tribute the Tuskegee Airmen with their annual wreath laying ceremony. Tuskegee Airmen are recognized for their historical milestone for diversity in the Air Force during World War II. They were the first African-American aviators to serve during that war. Source: Tuskegee Airmen honored for the 78th year
Read moreBROOMFIELD, Colo. — A 95-year-old Tuskegee Airman from Colorado Springs has just published his very first book. “Once our world war two veterans have moved on and passed on their history goes with them,” WWII historian Greg Kyle told FOX31. Frank Macon was recently interviewed by Fox31 Denver News. Click on the links to watch the interview. Source: Tuskegee Airman tells the tale of his flight through history | FOX31 Denver
Read moreFranklin J. Macon, who as a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman during World War II was among the first African American military aviators in the U.S., will speak at Hope College on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 4 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall. Source: World War II Tuskegee Airman Franklin J. Macon to Speak at Hope
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What was it like to travel in the 1930s for Frank and others? Though the early years of the thirties saw horrible unemployment, sometimes as high as 25%, according to US government documents of the 1930s, train travel was not too expensive for many families. From the 1890s, traveling by train was fairly expensive, but in the 20s prices were becoming lower. In 1933, there was a sudden drop in fare prices. Carriers were allowed to compete for business and many fares dropped to between one and two cents per mile. All costs considered, this was still thought to be more expensive than traveling by car, but only if there were four or more passengers in the automobile.
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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.”
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Frank mentions prohibition several times in his book, so what was it? Growing up in Colorado Springs, Frank had a unique experience when it came to the prohibition of alcohol. Long before Frank came along, the town had no legal alcohol. From the founding of Colorado Springs in 1872, it was illegal to sell a drop. This is attributed to the Quaker beliefs of the city founder Gen. William Jackson Palmer. Eventually Colorado became one of the first dry states in 1916. It was almost fifty years after the prohibition of alcohol in Colorado Springs when, in 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified, making the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors illegal throughout the US.
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How did Frank celebrate Christmas when he was a child? During the holiday season, Deanna Dyekman, one of our writing partners, sat down with Frank to ask him about his holiday memories. He laughed and described it as a, do it yourself Christmas! What types of Christmas toys did you receive each year? Frank remembers a Christmas when he was nine or so. He enjoyed a pretty fine train, but he thinks his aunts probably weren’t too pleased.
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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.
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“It was the depression, but we always had food.” Frank says proudly. His great aunt who he called Mama was a tremendous cook. She was so good, she became a local cateress. That’s what Franks says. Mama didn’t work for the local butcher, but she was always asked for tips. Mama knew how to prepare venison, rabbit, squirrel, and other wild game. Mama could take the “dog” meat, which meant the bones left at the butchers and make a delightful soup dinner. When Mama would make potato pancakes for Franklin and Ol’ Man Loper, they were as Frank says, “In tall cotton.”
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One thing that was very important to Frank as he began working on his book was to let readers know what was happening in the flying world while we was growing up. There were so many amazing changes happening. In the aircraft industry, the demand for new planes kept manufacturers busy. Among the innovative products introduced in the 1930s was the Boeing 247, the first modern airliner, which was introduced in 1933. Over in England, Frank Whittle developed the jet plane in 1937. And in 1939, Igor Sikorsky built the first helicopter for mass production. Manufacturers now faced new challenges in machining thin-walled, complex parts for these modern marvels. Source: https://www.americanmachinist.com/heating/1930s
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It was a great day for Franklin and those in attendance at the Laramie County Library System to kick off Veterans Day weekend! On Saturday, November 10 there were 70 chairs set up for people eager to hear Franklin’s stories about his youth and years at Tuskegee. We were thrilled to see more than 140 people show up. People were standing throughout the room. What a testimony to the patriotism still alive in our country. It was a joy to see young kids listening to every word he had to say, including his answer to a young girl’s question, why didn’t you like school? Because it was school! They made me sit still and be there every day.
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