Francis Weems Matthews was born in Leonardtown, MD, the son of George Garner Matthews and Dorothy Dows Matthews. His father was a grocer and realtor. An older sister, Catherine, completed the family.
Frank grew up in southern Maryland, where his interest in military service began early as the last of the horse cavalry would pass by en route to summer training, bivouacking at the nearby fairgrounds where Frank and other boys would go to watch and talk to the soldiers.
In 1949 Frank graduated from the oldest military academy in the United States, Charlotte Hall School in Maryland, established in 1797. He then attended Columbian Preparatory School in Washington, DC to study for the West Point entrance examinations. Before he could obtain an appointment, however, his local draft board arranged for Frank to enter the United States Army, which he did in February 1952. While he was in basic training at Fort Dix, NJ, his congressional appointment came through, and he was transferred to the USMA Preparatory School at Stewart Field, NY, subsequently entering West Point on an appointment from Congressman Lansdale G. Sasscer of Maryland’s 5th District.
As a cadet in Company K-2, Frank played some soccer, earning a monogram, was on the Bugle Notes staff, and belonged to the Russian and Ski clubs. As a First Classman he was a cadet supply sergeant.
Wrote his classmates in the Howitzer, the West Point yearbook, “In his typical Southern manner, Spider fought the battle with the Academic and Tactical Departments to the nth degree. We will always remember him for his warm smile and happy manner.”
Shortly after graduation Frank married Bernice (Bonnie) Spencer in the West Point Cadet Chapel. They had met in Annapolis when Frank was on an exchange weekend at the Naval Academy. Together they had daughters Cynthia (Cindy), Virginia (Ginger), and Victoria (Tori). Later there were eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Upon graduation Frank was commissioned in Infantry. After the basic course and airborne training at Fort Benning, GA, then Ranger School, he went for his first troop assignment to the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Riley, KS. In 1959 he gyroscoped to Germany with that unit and was stationed at Augsburg, where he served for the next three years, including a year in company command.
Frank next attended the career course at the Armor School at Fort Knox, KY, then returned to West Point to be aide-de-camp to the Superintendent, first Major General James B. Lampert and then Major General Donald Bennett.
Vietnam came next, as Frank was senior advisor to the Trung Lap Ranger Training Center. Returning Stateside, he attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, then had Washington duty, three years in the Army Office of Research and Development.
Returning to Vietnam, Frank served as G-5 of the 101st Airborne Division for about four months. When that division was withdrawn, he became commander of the Cambodian Training Center at Long Hai.
Next Frank went to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, where he served as headquarters commandant, then later as an assistant chief of staff.
A major change of career focus came next. After schooling at the Defense Language Institute, Frank was assigned as chief, Army Section, in the U.S. Military Group in Asuncion, Paraguay. After a few months he was promoted to commanding officer of the U.S. Military Group in Managua, Nicaragua, where he served for two and a half years. Just prior to the fall of the Somoza government and the takeover by the Marxist Sandinistas, the Military Group was evacuated, and the family returned to Washington.
Following an assignment with the Discharge Review Board in the Pentagon, it was back to Latin America. This time Frank was commanding officer of the U.S. Military Group in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. His final active duty assignment was with the Inter-American Defense Board. In 1986 he retired as a full colonel. All those years of service had been very enjoyable, Frank reported, “except when it meant moving one daughter twice in her senior year in high school!”
Frank was decorated at many stops along the way, including award of the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and an Army Commendation Medal. From the Vietnamese he received a Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm and the Gallantry Cross with Silver Star. He also wore the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.
In civilian life Frank continued a career of public service, signing on with the Grumman Aerospace Company on their Space Station Project. That was followed by information systems work with Lockheed-Martin and then the Army Software Center in Fairfax, VA.
When Frank retired again, he and Bonnie decided to make their home in southern Maryland, where Frank had grown up on the shores of the Wicomico River. They built a home in Newburg, a small waterfront community said by one source to boast “two stores, a lodge hall, and a fire department.” Among their many excursions from there were participation in the annual class biking group extravaganzas, including one at St. Simon’s Island, GA that they helped organize and stage.
Contracting diabetes, attributed to Agent Orange exposure during his Vietnam service, and subsequent infection, Frank later had to undergo a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg, an ordeal he bore with dignity and stoicism.
Frank Matthews was a man of substance and decency, much admired by all who served with him. May he rest in peace.
— Classmates and Family