Remember...
Franklin Darrell Ashley II
1948-1969
"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die."
G.K. Chesterton
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Remember...Franklin Darrell Ashley II
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Franklin Darrell Ashley II was born on September 11, 1948, in Charleston, West Virginia. He was raised by Franklin Darrell Ashley Sr. and Catherine Heim Ashley in Amma, Roane County, West Virginia. Franklin had one brother named Frederick Loren ("Fred") Ashley. Franklin attended Spencer High School in Spencer, West Virginia. He was 18 when he graduated on May 25, 1967. Franklin had one son, but it is not confirmed who the son is or when the son was born.
Franklin lived in Amma for the majority of his life. Amma is a small town near Spencer, West Virginia. For reference, Amma is about 40 minutes away from Charleston, West Virginia. Franklin grew up in Amma during the 1950s and 1960s. During this time, coal mining and farming were the main jobs that people from there had. Amma is a very rural area, so many people were farmers.
During this time in the United States, many things were happening. For starters, there was the Civil Rights movement that started to take off. This was when people were fighting for equal rights for people of all colors. During the 60s, President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were both assassinated. Another major event that took place during this time was the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War began as a regional conflict. The communist North Vietnam wanted to unite the country with socialism. The United States was afraid of communism expanding throughout the world, so they joined with South Vietnam to help fight the North. By 1967, there were more than 500,000 American troops in Vietnam. In the United States, many people were protesting the war. The U.S. found itself fighting a war at home too. Eventually, public opinion against the war caused the United States to withdraw from the war. Throughout the war, about 60,000 U.S. soldiers died and around 150,000 were wounded.
| Franklin enlisted into active duty into the United States Army on February 26, 1968. His service number was 11610180, and his rank was Specialist 4 (SP4). Franklin began his tour in Vietnam on September 17, 1968. He was a 67A1F: Aircraft Maintenance Crewman and Crew Chief. He was assigned to the 335th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC), 268th Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Republic of Vietnam. He was stationed in Long Khanh Province, South Vietnam. |  |
SP4 Ashley distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in sustained aerial flight in support of combat ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam during the period October 2, 1968, to March 20, 1969. According to the 2020 West Virginia legislative resolution that named a bridge for Franklin (HCR 21), during this time, he actively participated in more than 25 aerial missions over hostile territory in support of counterinsurgency operations; in all of these missions he displayed the highest order of air discipline and acted in accordance with the best traditions of the service.
Writing in the "Remembrances" section of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces, W. Killian provides the following narrative:
At 1915 hours on the evening prior to the accident of March 20, 1969, the 335th Assault Helicopter Company closed home station, Bear Cat RVN, after being released from their mission. The 335th AHC had been notified that their aircraft would have to be dispersed on the night of March 20, 1969. Major Riley dispatched 8 UH-1H aircraft at 2130 hours from Bear Cat. The plan was to return to Bear Cat by 0545 hours, March 21, 1969, change crews as required, eat breakfast, and depart at 0700 hours, in time to meet mission report time.The eight ships departed Bear Cat in two flights, one of six ships, and one of two ships, at 2130 hours. By 2230 hours, March 20, 1969, all eight aircraft were shut down in "l" shaped revetments at Blackhorse. Between 0445 hours and 0505 hours on March 21, 1969, the crews were awakened by other crew members or by the sound of the lead aircraft cranking up. At approximately 0515 hours a ground communications check was initiated by Alpha flight lead, WO Knoblacuh. He then called Blackhorse tower for hover and line-up instructions for a flight of eight. Alpha lead received instructions, acknowledged them, and moved out to his position. Chalks 2 and 3 of Alpha flight moved out in order and took up the IP positions.
Aircraft 380, belonging in Bravo flight from position assignments on March 20, 1969, hovered out in front of Bravo lead, and then remained as Chalk 4 in Alpha flight. Bravo lead then assumed the fifth position, and Alpha lead, which was on tower frequency, was unaware that he now had a flight of four. The rest of the line-up was accomplished without incident and at 0522 hours, Blackhorse tower cleared Alpha lead and a flight of eight (8) for takeoff to the east on Runway 11. Alpha lead initiated his takeoff and climb out still unaware that he had a fourth aircraft.
At approximately 1000 feet indicated altitude (Blackhorse field elevation is 820 feet) he experienced a thin wisp of cloud or haze, and noticed low-hanging clouds to the northeast, or to his left. At this time he executed an abrupt 20 to 25 degree right bank and transmitted to the flight to "come up a loose, loose vee of three". Alpha chalks 2, 3, and 4 observed Alpha lead make his turn and began to turn and move out to their formation positions. Chalk 2 experienced haze or clouds and intermittent IFR (instrument flight rules) weather conditions. Chalk 3 could partially see the running light on alpha lead, but as he slipped left (east) to gain his position in the "vee", he also experienced intermittent IFR weather conditions, and did not break out completely until he reached 2000 feet indicated altitude. Aircraft 380, Alpha Chalk 4, moved to pick up his position centered behind lead to form a diamond. He did not begin a climb and attempted to descent below the level of the clouds until his pilot and crew members yelled "Trees!", and at a position not more than ten feet above the tree tops he initiated a normal climb.
Simultaneously Bravo flight took off with no apparent separation between the flights. Bravo flight established a trail formation carrying out to the east for separation. Bravo lead entered a wisp of clouds or haze, and turned left, probably inadvertently, past a 90 degree heading so that his ground track and that of the tree ships behind him was in fact 050 degrees from the east end of Runway 11. He initiated and maintained a climb of 1000 feet per minute, 40 lbs. torque, and 60 knots indicated airspeed. Bravo Chalk 2, Chalk 3, and trail aircraft 385, continued on this ground track. Chalk 2 was climbing slowly at a rate estimated to be less than 300 feet per minute, and Chalk 3 was following him. Chalk 2 then transmitted, "Chalk 2, I'm in trouble, watch me . . . ", he must have encountered, unexpectedly, the same IFR conditions the five previous ships had entered.
Approximately one minute and twenty five seconds after liftoff, aircraft serial number 66-16928 turned right and crashed on a 210 degree heading. Alpha flight proceeded to Bearcat as a flight. Bravo lead began circling midway between Bearcat and Blackhorse, attempting to contact his aircraft. Bravo trail continued alone into Bearcat with UHF radio problems. At approximately 0535 hours or ten to fifteen minutes after takeoff, Bravo lead, aircraft 654, called Blackhorse tower and said he had found one aircraft, thinking he knew where 354 was, but was still missing one. The tower informed him of a report by a perimeter guard that a ship had crashed east of the compound.
After searching through more intermittent IFR cloud conditions, Bravo lead located aircraft 928 at approximately 0630 hours, March 21, 1969. Lost crew members included aircraft commander 1LT Thomas M. Newman, pilot 1LT Thomas E. Jones Jr., crew chief SP4 Franklin D. Ashley II, and gunner PFC Robert E. Pierson. ("Final Mission of SP4 Franklin D. Ashley," 2 February 2015, accessed 18 February 2022, https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/1584/FRANKLIN-D-ASHLEY-II/. The same account appears on Franklin's Find A Grave page [Memorial Number 23896080], but appears to have originated with vhpa.org.)
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SP4 Franklin D. Ashley's remains were recovered and returned to the United States. He was buried at the Ashley Waitman Family Cemetery in Amma, Roane County, West Virginia. Throughout his service in United States Army, he was awarded many awards and decorations. These include the Air Medal with 21 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with Four Bronze Service Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with Device 1960, the Expert Badge with Rifle Bar, and the Army Aviation Badge Basic. "Franklin Darrell Ashley II," HonorStates.org, accessed 18 February 2022, https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=260369.) |
SP4 Franklin D. Ashley II will be forever remembered for his sacrifice to our nation as he is memorialized at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 29W, Line 94, in Washington, D.C., as well as in his home state at the West Virginia Veterans Memorial located in Charleston, West Virginia.
| On January 21, 2020, West Virginia Delegates introduced House Concurrent Resolution 21, wherein they requested the Division of Highways name bridge number 44-79-25 79 NB & SB (34A124, 34A135), locally known as the Amma/Big Sandy Creek Bridge carrying Interstate 79 South over Big Sandy Creek and County Route 29 in Roane County, as the "U. S. Army SPC Franklin D. Ashley II Memorial Bridge." It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate him and his contributions to our state and country. |  |
Article prepared by Cayden Holcomb and Amelia Launi, George Washington High School JROTC
February 2022
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.