Lt. Col. Melvin S. Frank USAR

Melvin S. Frank,

Lt. Colonel, USAR

POLAND Melvin S. Frank, Lieutenant Colonel, USAR, died Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005.

He was born May 24, 1915, in Youngs town, the son of Jero me Frank and Lillian Smith Frank. He resided in Niles for more than 50 years and since 1998 at Shepherd of the Valley Independent Living in Poland. Mel was a graduate of South High School, attended Youngstown College, and received his B.S. in education from Ohio University in 1939. In 1951, Mel was awarded his M.A. in education from Kent State Uni versity. He also completed the requirements for a civil engi neering degree at YSU. While in high school and college, he worked for Isaly's and U.S. Steel in McDonald.

He retired from teaching college prep mathematics at Niles McKinley High School in June 1974, after 35 years of teach ing. Early in his career, he also taught at Valley City (Medina County), Tallmadge, and Salem. The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation honored Mr. Frank for his excellence in public school teaching by selecting him to be a Jennings Scholar.

On Jan. 30, 1942, Mr. Frank was drafted as a Private into the U.S. Army, completed basic training in Coast Artillery, Anti-Aircraft, and was promoted to corporal. Selected to attend Of ficers Candidate School, he graduated Aug. 13, 1942, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the Air Defense of New York City where, on Dec. 5, 1942, he was promoted to first lieuten ant. In January 1943, he em barked overseas on the USS Ancon and landed in Oran, Algeria, North Africa. He was assigned to General George Patton's II Corps and saw action in Algiers, Constantine, Tebressa, Kasserine, Bizerti, and Tunis, where he was promoted to the rank of captain on Oct. 6, 1943.

On Oct. 15, 1943, he landed in Naples, Italy, and was reassigned to General Mark Clark's Fifth Army and attached to the Corps Expeditionary Francais under the command of General Juin, French officers with colo nial troops. He saw action at Caserto, Venafro, Cassino, An zio, Rome, Leghorn, and Pisa. On Sept. 4, 1944, his unit landed on the beach at St. Tropez in southern France, at tached to General Truscott's VI Corps and General Patch's Sev enth Army.

He saw action in the Vosges Mountains, Strasbourg, Rhine Crossing, Bavaria, and was in Innsbruck, Austria, on V-E Day. Then he was assigned to an Army of Occupation Battalion near Nuremburg until V-J Day. His official separation from ac tive duty was Jan. 28, 1946. He earned campaign ribbons with six battle stars, five overseas bars (2-1/2 years), no wounds.

He joined the U.S. Army Reserves and was promoted to major on Nov. 22, 1946. He was an Army National Guard Artillery Battalion Commander from 1951 to 1965, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on Nov. 22, 1956. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College on July 22, 1967.

Mr. Frank was the 2001 re cipient of the Mahoning County Reserve Officers Association's Colonel Boals Award for out standing military and communi ty service. Mr. Frank was a 55- year member of the Niles First Presbyterian Church, where he had served as an elder. He was the first treasurer of the Trum bull County Council for the Mentally Retarded. He was a life member of the Ohio Retired Teachers, Trumbull County Retired Teachers, National Education Association, National Guard Association, and Reserve Offi cers Association. He was also a member of the Mahoning Coun ty Retired Teachers, Le Cercle Francais, a 57-year American Legion member, and was an IRS VITA volunteer for 20 years.

Mel was a prolific letter-writer to the local newspapers, en joyed golf, especially his winters in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and also enjoyed traveling in the United States and abroad.

He is survived by his loving wife and constant companion, the former Merle Pollard Young of Akron; son, Gary R. (Kristie) Frank of Detroit Lakes, Minn.; daughter, Sue E. (Russell) Mikulas of Struthers; grandchildren, Garalee, Garett, and Kristopher Frank, and John, Rusty, and Marty Mikulas. Mel was preced ed in death by his first wife, the former Betty Jane Jones, whom he married June 11, 1947, and who died Aug. 22, 1996; his son, Bobby, born in 1949 and died in 1955; and his brother, Art, who died in 1997.

There are no calling hours. It was Mr. Frank's wish that his body go to the College of Medicine in Rootstown.

A memorial service will be Saturday, Aug. 13, at 11 a.m., at Niles First Presbyterian Church on Robbins Avenue in Niles. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Material tributes may be made to the donor's favorite charity.