Post Armorer Billy Franks Served His Country Well: Commended Twice

Middleboro Gazette

..............(From time to time, Middleboro’s Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64, American Legion, will, courtesy of the Gazette, highlight various members concerning their military histories… By Bob Lessard, Post Historian)

.......William Charles Franks, 72, is one of a few Middleboro veterans, who has served our

country in several branches of the United States military. Popularly known as Billy, the

versatile Middleboro resident saw military service in the U.S. Navy, the Army Reserve and Army

National Guard. His combined service time totaled 26 years.

......His first service tour was as a U.S. Navy enlistee. Billy served aboard the Fleet Ocean

Tug USS Quapaw ATF 110, as a Petty Officer Third Class (E-4). His tour of duty aboard ship saw

many travels in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On four occasions he made land at

Johnson Island in the South Pacific. Two stops in Seattle were remembered by Franks because the

World’s Fair was there.

.....USS Quapaw sailed from Pearl Harbor, the inland straits of Canada and Alaska. And, for a

time, it was based in Adak, Alaska, where the ship departed for visits to Atka and Attu. Many

ports in the South Pacific saw the Quapaw anchor in their harbors: Taiwan, Philippines, Hong

Cong, Guam, Somar, Okinawa and Sasebo and Yokosuka in Japan.

......After a break of about eight years from his Navy experience, Billy worked as a merchant

marine for Sun Oil (Sun Co) for its Marine Department on super tankers from July 1965 through

December 1968. He proudly holds an able seaman’s card issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, which

gave him unlimited license to sail on all the world’s oceans.

......A list of the supertankers, on which Billy worked and sailed, include the SS Delaware

Sun, SS Texas Sun, SS Ohio Sun and the SS Sabine Sun. In his ocean travels with the company,

Billy visited ports all over the East Coast from Boston to Texas. He also stopped in Puerto

Rico and Mexico. Several of supertanker trips traveled overseas to the Azores, Spain, Portugal

and France

......Following his stint with Sun Oil, Billy joined the Army Reserve, where he served for a

period of 18 ½ years. He was trained as a motor transport operator and a petroleum specialist.

Later, he spent 1 ½ years with the Army National Guard. Among the installations he was

assigned and operated from were Hingham, Brockton, Roslindale, New Bedford, Middleboro and Fort

Devens.

......He obtained the rank of Sergeant 1st Class (E-7) during his 20 years of duty between the

Reserve and the Guard. His units were active throughout his career. He traveled to Canada, New

York, Germany, Austria and was activated during Desert Storm moving equipment to Bayonne, New

Jersey.

......During his time with the Army units he received several Letters of Commendation. One

letter from the Commanding Officer of Company C, 187th Support Battalion dated 9 June 1977

stated: “It is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to inform you that you have

been selected by the officers and NCO’s of the Company as the Soldier of the Cycle.”

......The letter further reads, “It has been your hard work and devotion to duty that has

earned you this honor, and you can be very proud of your achievement.”

......Billy received a second Letter of Commendation dated 30 August 1985 from Headquarters, US

Army Forces Iceland (Provisional) of Hanscom AFB, directed to Company C, 187th Support

Battalion. The letter in part says, “I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere

gratitude to SSG William C. Franks for his superb efforts in assisting the ARICE Movement

Control Center during Annual Training 85 at Gagetown CFB, New Brunswick, Canada.”

......“SSG Frank’s willingness to work long hours under strenuous conditions is to be

commended. His diligence and selflessness enabled us to safely move, support, and process more

than Four Thousand (4000) troops and over One Thousand (1000) vehicles to and from Canada.”

......The North Main Street resident is married to Carla (May) Franks, who is originally from

Stoneham, Ma. They have two daughters Lisa, who is married to Aaron Pacheco of Wareham. They

have three children, Emma, 7, Zachary, 6, and Mason, 3 years old. Daughter Laura and her

husband Matthew Annis, also of Wareham, have a daughter Taylor, age 1 ½.

......Billy is a member of Middleboro’s Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion, where he

serves as armorer. It’s his responsibility to oversee the proper care and maintenance of the

rifles used by the Middleboro Veterans Honor Guard.

.......During funeral services for Middleboro veterans the Honor Guard renders final honors at

the cemetery. Billy is the commander of the firing squad. In that capacity, he orders the rifle

squad to fire three rounds as a final salute to the late veteran. In addition, following Taps,

he is charged with presenting a designated member of the family with the spent shell casings in

memory of the veteran.

.......In addition to his Legion armorer duties, Billy is vice-president of the Memorial

Association of Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64. Also, he serves as Officer of the Day (OD) of the

Middleboro Veterans Council, which he calls to order on a monthly basis.

......Should Gazette readers visit Muckey’s Liquors on Route 44 in Lakeville, Billy is

prominently positioned on the new Veterans Honor Wall. He can be seen in the center panel

standing in front of the rifle squad.