Article By: Denise Ray
Retired Army Col. Frank Siddal Reece was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 5 in Columbus, Georgia. UNG alumni now make up 19 of the 161 inductees in the Hall of Fame's 10-year history.
The Newnan, Georgia, resident was one of 15 members of the class of 2022.
Reece served as Boar's Head Brigade commander for UNG's Corps of Cadets and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry branch in 1960. He entered flight school early in his career and was qualified in both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.
During his first deployment in Vietnam as a UH-lB pilot, Reece came to the rescue of a beleaguered Vietnamese Battalion, which had sustained a large number of casualties when being ambushed by enemy forces. In the midst of heavy ground fire, Reece flew into the embattled zone despite the absence of ground cover and loss of communications. Being aware of the imminent danger, he nonetheless flew three more extraction missions, evacuating a total of 26 wounded soldiers to safety.
There is no question that Frank Reece served his country well as a member of the U.S. Army and that he is an outstanding individual, a key member of his community, and is deserving of this special recognition.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Gerald Lord
For his actions, Reece was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Additional decorations awarded during his distinguished career were three awards of the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
Reece served his country for 30 years, including a second combat tour and numerous high-level comptroller/resource management positions, with chief of staff of U.S. Army Recruiting Command as his final assignment.
Retired Col. Gerald Lord, '61, nominated Reece.
"There is no question that Frank Reece served his country well as a member of the U.S. Army and that he is an outstanding individual, a key member of his community, and is deserving of this special recognition," Lord said in his nomination of Reece.
Lord said it was a "distinct honor and pleasure" to propose Reece's membership, and "from the time he was named as corps commander of the Boar's Head Brigade at North Georgia College, he was destined to be a major contributor to the U.S. Army and the American way of life."
Hall of Fame nominees must have ties to Georgia and qualify in one of three categories: valor for heroic action in combat; outstanding achievement while in service; or significant local, state, or national contributions after leaving active duty.
