Capt. Fred A.W. Franke, Jr. (Ret.), or “Bill” as he prefers to be called, not only flew off of all three of the Sister Ships, but he initially flew off of them while they were still straight deck carriers! He has also flown off of the USS Cabot CVL-28 (F4U), the USS Tarawa CV-40 (F4U), the USS Wright CVL-49 (F4U), the USS Saratoga CVA-60 (F3H), the USS Forrestal CV-59 (F3H-2M), and the USS Ranger CVA-61 (F4B).

Bill Franke was born in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. He entered the Navy V-5 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, on March 30, 1950, and then served as an F4U-4 Corsair and F9F-5 Panther pilot with VF-73 at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, from April 1950 to August 1953. LtJg Franke next completed U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NATC Patuxent River, Maryland, in January 1954, followed by service as a Project Test Pilot at Pax River from January to June 1954. Lt Franke served as an Instructor with the Test Pilot School at Pax River from June 1954 to October 1956, and then served as an F3H-2M Demon pilot with VF-61 at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, from November 1956 to April 1959.

His next assignment was as a Training and Tactics Officer with Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, from May 1959 to July 1960, followed by Naval War College at NS Newport, Rhode Island, from August 1960 to June 1961. LCDR Franke then returned to the Test Pilot School at NATC Patuxent River, serving as an Instructor and Project Test Pilot from July 1961 to July 1963. He attended F-4 Phantom II Replacement Air Group training with VF-121 at NAS Miramar California, from July to November 1963, and then served as Executive Officer of VF-21 at NAS Miramar and aboard the USS Midway from December 1963 to November 1964. He became the commanding officer of VF-21 in 1964.

Midway was deployed to Vietnam in March of 1965. On August 24, 1965, Bill and LCDR Rob Doremus2 (who was Bill’s backseat radar intercept officer [RIO]), were forced to eject over North Vietnam when their F-4 Phantom was hit by a SAM missile. They were taken as prisoners of war and spent 2,730 days in captivity.

When asked to relate some of their experiences as POWs, both Bill and Rob mentioned the Son Tay Raid as an important milestone during their captivity. The raid, known as “Operation Ivory Coast,” was held November 21, 1970. It was intended to rescue 65 prisoners being held at Son Tay. The raid was executed almost flawlessly but the prisoners were moved before the raid due to flooding concerns. When the NVA learned of the raid they put prisoners together from other locations. Many of these prisoners had been held in solitary confinement (some for years). This raid was, as you can imagine, a huge morale booster and provided a solid sense of joy and hope they had never had. The raid may not have freed our POWs but it did, in a sense, free the spirits of those being held.

Bill and Rob were two of three Naval Aviators who were initially listed as Killed In Action and years later were reclassified as Prisoners-of-War. The third was Porter Halyburton (VF-84, USS Independence).

Capt. Franke and LCDR Doremus were released during Operation Homecoming on February 12, 1973. Bill was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. Rob was hospitalized in Naval Hospital Philadelphia for a short time.

Capt. Franke then served on the Staff of the Commander, Fighter Airborne Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, from October 1973 to February 1974, during which time he also completed refresher pilot training. His next assignment was as Commanding Officer of VX-4 at NAS Point Mugu, California, from March 1974 to July 1976, followed by service as Chief of Staff for the Commander, Fighter Airborne Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in San Diego from July 1976 until his retirement from the Navy on August 1, 1977.

Bill and his wife Jackie now live in Pensacola, Florida. Bill is still flying at the age of 93!