Frederick Melvin Franks Jr.

Frederick M. Franks Jr. is a highly decorated retired four-star general of the United States Army, renowned for his inspirational leadership and tactical brilliance, particularly during the Gulf War. An armor officer by trade, Franks' career began after his graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1959. His early service included tours in West Germany during the Cold War, setting the stage for his later command in Europe.

During the Vietnam War, Franks served as a major with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. In 1970, while participating in an incursion into Cambodia, he was severely wounded by a grenade, which later necessitated the amputation of his left leg below the knee. Despite this career-threatening injury, Franks fought to remain on active duty, demonstrating immense personal courage and resolve. He successfully proved he could meet the physical demands of service, becoming an inspiration for wounded soldiers and a proponent for allowing qualified amputees to continue their military careers.

Rising through the ranks, Franks held numerous significant command and staff positions. He commanded the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and later led the 1st Armored Division. His experience and expertise in armored warfare culminated in his appointment as commander of the U.S. Army's VII Corps, based in Germany, during the final years of the Cold War. In this role, he was responsible for a major component of NATO's defense against a potential Warsaw Pact invasion.

General Franks' most celebrated achievement came during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. As commander of VII Corps, he orchestrated the famous "Left Hook," a massive armored flanking maneuver that swept deep into Iraq. Commanding over 146,000 American and British soldiers, his corps engaged and decisively defeated multiple divisions of the Iraqi Republican Guard, the enemy's elite force. The operation was a stunning success, accomplished with remarkably few coalition casualties, and is considered a textbook example of modern armored warfare. After the war, he served as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) until his retirement in 1994, leaving a lasting legacy on Army doctrine and leader development.