sevencorps

The Corps of Cadets honored the service of retired Gen. Fred Franks Nov. 1 at Washington Hall. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 1959, Franks served for 35 and a half years and later became the Chair and visiting scholar of the Simon Center for Professional Military Ethic. On the first of November, Franks’ 80th birthday, his career came full circle as he bid a Soldier’s farewell to the Corps.

“Gen. Fred Franks has done more to advance the Army profession than anyone I know,” Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr. said during Franks’ farewell dinner. “His drive, his commitment to excellence, and his passion for our Army has never faltered… He is, above all, a Soldier.”

Read the full article here.

My wife Denise and I and on behalf of our President Col (ret) Mark Rado and our newly elected VII Corps Desert Storm Association Board wish our VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans and Families all the very best this Veterans Day 2016 and every day. This continues to be a special year as you know. We commemorate 25 years from our rapid 250 kilometer 89-hour attack as part of the Coalition 24-28 February 1991 operation that liberated Kuwait. We did all that as a team. We commemorated this special year with over 300 of you at our 25th Reunion in February in Washington DC. By reading each name at our Memorial Service we were able to remember and honor those of our ranks who in Lincoln’s words ‘gave that last full measure of devotion’ and their Families. This year as a special honor we laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington. Our Reunion Dinner followed with an inspiring talk by the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and VII Corps Veteran, General (ret) Marty Dempsey.

Thank you for your courageous and selfless service to our Nation in accomplishing all we did together in VII Corps with great skill from our training, courage, discipline, teamwork, and yes, sacrifice, during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Our grateful appreciation as well to our Families who served with their own brand of courage, those in the USA, UK, and those staying in already forward deployed locations in Germany. You all made a difference when it counted, as do this post 9/11 generation who serve today with great skill, selflessness, and sacrifice, in current operations worldwide, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. I value our wartime service with all of you and remain honored to have been your commander just as Denise values the invaluable Family contributions at home. We both continue to treasure the friendships over these now more than 25 years.

Our Board decided to move this year’s Reunion from Washington DC to Houston, Texas to be closer for more of our members. Details are listed on our VII Corps DSVA website to include an opportunity to sign up to attend. Denise and I hope to see you at our 26th Reunion February 26, 2017.

All the very best to each of you and your Families this 2016 Veterans Day.

JAYHAWK!
Fred M. Franks
General, US Army (retired)
Chairman VII Corps DSVA Board

We have been asked to share some information regarding a study being conducted by the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, WI:

“Dear Gulf War Veteran,

“We would like to tell you about the research being done at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in conjunction with The University of Wisconsin – Madison and invite you to participate. This research is aimed at understanding brain function of pain and the impact of weight-training exercise in Persian Gulf Veterans who served during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm and who experience chronic muscle pain. This work is supported by the Department of Veteran Affairs.”

Download the flyer to learn more.

General Franks, President Bush dictated the brief note below earlier today:

Dear Fred,

Please convey to the entire VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association my thanks for the very kind birthday wishes. Your warm sentiments mean a great deal to me.

With respect and lasting gratitude for your service to our country.

George Bush

As we approach the sacred day of Memorial Day in America where we honor and remember our men and women who died in military service, Denise and I, on behalf of our newly elected Association President Mark Rado and our new VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association Board, are reaching out to you and your Families to thank you for your own service and your service in VII Corps during Desert Storm.

To remember our own fallen this 25th Anniversary year of our victory in 1991, on 27 February at our VII Corps Reunion Chaplain Col (ret) Wayne Lehrer conducted a military Memorial Service, as he has done each year, where our past Association President MG (ret) John Altenburg read each of the 111 names of our VII Corps Desert Storm Soldiers who in Lincoln’s words, “gave that last full measure of devotion.” One of our former commanders, this year LTG Karen Dyson, gave commander remarks as is appropriate at these ceremonies.

This year in special commemoration following our Memorial Service, CSM (ret) Harold Shrewsberry, Association Vice President and I, accompanied by former division and major unit commanders and CSM, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington National Cemetery to honor and remember our 111 Fallen. We said at the end of Desert Storm 25 years ago that “we will never forget” and we have not forgotten our VII Corps comrades nor as a Nation all those who have fallen in military service.

May we all pause in our own way this Memorial Day 2016 in deep remembrance to honor and remember those Soldiers who gave it all in military service–and their Families. We value our service with each of you and look forward to seeing many of you at our Reunion the weekend of 24-26 February 2017 in Houston, TX.

Fred Franks
Gen, US Army (retired)
Chairman, VII Corps DSVA Board

Click the video above to watch an ABC news clip that Sam Donaldson did with CO D, 1/37 Armor 1st AD on 21 Feb 1991. CO was then CPT Dana Pitard. Great testimonial to our Soldiers.

It is with great sadness that Denise and I learned of MG(R) John Landry’s passing this morning. John served a long and distinguished career in armored cavalry with an exemplary combat record in Vietnam. He was our superb VII Corps Chief of Staff, handling and coordinating the relentless details of putting together a 146,000 Soldier Corps, then the planning and execution details of our 89 hour 250 km attack from the Corps Main CP.

He and wife Margie were faithful attendees at our VII Corps DSVA Reunions and Memorial Services. We shall all miss him, and on behalf of our VII Corps DSVA Board and Association; Denise and I extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Margie, and Sons Scott and Sean and their Families.

GEN Fred Franks
USA-Ret