- Date Of Birth: November 25, 1932
- Date Of Death: February 9, 2022
- State: Virginia
Franklin “Frank” Augustus Hart was born November 25th, 1932, in Seattle, Washington to Thomas Hall Hart and Frances Fleming McEachern. Frank was named after his dad’s brother, Franklin A. Hart, a Marine who ultimately rose to become a four-star general. Frank grew up in Miami, Florida, then a small, quiet city. Tom Hart, his father, a native Alabamian, had moved to Miami in 1920 shortly after returning from the First World War, in which he had served as a lieutenant in the Alabama National Guard. Prior to the war, while stationed on the US-Mexico border, Frank’s father had participated in the US Military’s pursuit of Pancho Villa. After the war, in Paris, his father was a member of the founding delegation for the American Legion.
Frank was graduated from Miami High School in June 1950 and entered West Point the next month. He felt his ability to succeed in some of the Army’s toughest challenges (Beast Barracks, Airborne Training, Ranger Training and Pathfinder School) came from being able to endure the rigors of spring practice football at Miami High, a school that always stood first or second in football in the state. The result was a series of relationships with his high school teammates that endured until his death. Frank’s nickname at Miami High was “Bruiser.”
Frank was graduated 21st in a class of 633. His plans to become a pilot in the Army Air Force were thwarted by an eye exam early in his last year. Instead, he chose the Infantry. During Frank’s first assignment in Panama, he spent half the tour in the Army’s Jungle Warfare Training Center, which was part of the 33rd Infantry Regiment. Frank’s work as the leader of the team that taught ambushes, raids and patrols, came in handy eleven years later in Vietnam. After Panama, Frank served infantry tours in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell and in the 7th Infantry Division in Korea.
Following Korea, the West Point Social Sciences Department sent Frank to Stanford where he obtained an MA in Political Science. Although given the option of Columbia, Harvard, Yale or Princeton, he persuaded the Army that Stanford had his desired program of studies – a co-ed graduate program! At Stanford, Frank met Betty Kirkpatrick, a graduate student in History from Denver, Colorado. They were in a class together in the first quarter. Betty was in the front of the class where she could interact with the Professor and Frank was in the rear row where he could see who was present – good application of infantry tactics. When he first spoke with her during a graduate student social function, he informed a skeptical Betty that he would marry her. They became engaged at Christmas, 1962 and married in August, 1963, before returning to Stanford for their second year of schooling.
After Stanford, Frank attended the CGSC at Fort Leavenworth and then he and Betty reported to West Point where he joined the Social Science Department for three years. He taught elective courses on the history of US foreign policy during his second and third year. It was one of only 2 of the 104 electives that had two sections because of the number of students who enrolled. John, their first son, was born at West Point and David, the second son, was born when Betty returned to Denver in May 1968, just before Frank went to Vietnam.
Frank joined the 9th Division in the Mekong Delta in June, 1968, serving initially as the 1st Brigade Executive Officer to the legendary Colonel Hank Emerson and then Frank took over the 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry. Upon completion of his command tour, Frank became the G3 Advisor to the ARVN II Corps.
After Vietnam, Frank served as the Aide de Camp and Assistant Executive to General W.C. Westmoreland, the Chief of Staff of the Army. Selected for attendance at the Naval War College, Frank, Betty and family spent a pleasant year at Newport, Rhode Island. They returned to the Pentagon, where Frank served as a Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Army. During this tour, he accepted an offer from John Seigle to join the Combat Arms Training Board, a new organization created in early 1972 by General Westmoreland to address the problems of training in combat units.
This was the beginning of a nine-year period in which Frank joined a team headed by General William Depuy and General Paul Gorman which led the revolution in Army training. Frank became Deputy President in 1973 and then President of CATB. In 1975, General Gorman moved Frank to TRADOC headquarters as his Deputy, with a mission to create a Training Development Institute which focused on training conducted by the Army’s school system. Frank’s major achievement was his role in creating an NCO Education System which focused on separate courses to train squad leaders and platoon sergeants for combat arms branches. In 1979, Frank moved to Washington to head the Army Research Institute, the Army’s principal R&D organization for training, manpower and personnel issues. His mission was to make that organization more relevant to the Army and more supportive of training needs.
Frank’s interests were varied. He occupied a number of positions in a variety of Episcopal Churches, often helping Betty, who held positions at the Diocesan and Province level and who attended four National Conventions as a member of the Virginia Deputation. He and Betty were active in the development and rollout of anti-racism training efforts at the parish, diocesan and province levels. Frank also worked on the genealogy of his family which led him to gain membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. Golf was a primary outdoors activity. He and Betty bought a winter home in San Antonio and during the period 2003-2013 spent each winter there which ensured a twelve-month golf season. Frank was active in Class of ’54 activities serving as President (1994-2004) and Vice President (2009-2014) and organizing a heavily attended Class Reunion in San Antonio in 2011. Finally, he and Betty realized that one of their missions was to provide a home for middle-aged shelter dogs, primarily dachshunds.
Frank’s wife, Betty, preceded him with her passing in 2016 due to complications from Alzheimer’s. Frank resided at Goodwin House, Bailey’s Crossroads, from 2015 – 2022. He was an active member of the community, whether hosting weekly poker games, selecting and providing historical context for a weekly military history video, serving on committees for Veterans and Newcomers, or in a term as President of the Resident Advisory Council.
Although the oldest sibling, Frank was also the last surviving one. His brother Richard, and his sisters Frances and Mildred passed before him. Frank and Betty are survived by their two sons, John and David, and two granddaughters, McKenzie and Lexie.
