Frank Edwin Eason
- Born: May 31, 1941 Johnston, NC
- Died: March 6, 2022 Cathedral City, CA
Frank Edwin Eason
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Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
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Frank Edwin Eason, born on May 31, 1941, in North Carolina, was the son of Grover and Myrtle Stancil Eason. He was one of six children, with siblings Jean Eason LaVie, Lelon Woodrow Eason Sr., Margaret Carol Eason Cole, Grover Cleveland Eason Jr., and Jo Ann Eason Alexander.
Frank's life was significantly shaped by his military service. He joined the Navy in December 1959, undergoing recruit training at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. His uncle, G.I. Stancil's, naval career influenced Frank's path. He was assigned to the Amphibious Force of the Pacific Fleet and served three tours in the western Pacific, with stops in the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea. During this time, he was in the Philippines when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. His last tour was in the South China Sea, where he was part of the Fleet that loaded Marines off the coast of Vietnam, waiting for the incident at the Bay of Tonkin in August 1964. Before the US attack, troops landed at Da Nang. Frank was discharged before Christmas of 1964 and immediately began working for McDonnell Douglas Corporation in Long Beach, California.
However, in February 1966, Frank was called back into the Navy due to his experience with Navy Hovercraft, or Patrol Air Cushion Vehicles (PACV). The Navy had purchased three PACVs from Britain and planned to use them in Vietnam. Frank underwent extensive training at a Marine base, including multiple arms and weapons training, escape and evasion school, and jungle warfare training. He then trained on the PACV at the Coronado Naval Base in California.
Frank's second tour in Vietnam began on May 20, 1966, and was initially scheduled for 90 days but he remained for an additional 14 months. He was assigned to Navy Patrol Air-cushion Vehicle (PACV), Boatron 1 Division 107. These boats were used for river patrol on the Mekong River and armed with a .50 caliber machine gun and an M60 equip with remote control detonator. Often Green Berets and Rangers rode with them. During this time many crewmates and 3 officers were killed. In December 1966, the PACVs, personnel, and equipment were loaded onto the USS Gunston Hall (LSD-5) for return to San Diego, CA, for an overhaul and new crew training.
Frank was discharged in April 1967 and returned to McDonnell Douglas Corporation in Long Beach. After retiring, Frank moved to Palm Springs, California.
Frank Edwin Eason passed away at the age of 80 on March 6, 2022, at his home in Cathedral City, California.