Tom Franklin
Incredibly today Papa is flying again. Having flown in World War II as a tail gunner in a B – 17 Flying Fortress, aloft in the solitudes of space, Papa now fly’s in a far greater country. In darkening storms, he showed no fear, greeted adversity with a smile and if you ever shook his hand you’d know he could wield those mighty twin .50 cal machine guns with ease. A man’s man, if ever I have met one, owned a concrete company, was up at 4 a.m. all the time, loved to work, loved to go to church and even more loved everyone in his family with such a devotion its rarely seen today. There were no coincidences with Papa, only providence and he certainly was the type of individual you wanted to fly with when the storms of life appeared. I can’t wait to have the honor to fly with Papa above God’s celestial’s shores when we all get to heaven – what a great and glorious day that will be.