Knox, William Franklin “Frankie”

Knox, William, born on 01-01-1874, in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were both Canadian, his father William Edwin Knox, was from New Brunswick and his mother Sarah Barnard, was from Charlottetow, Prince Edward Island. When William was nine, his family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where his father ran a grocery store. He attended Alma College in Michigan, where he was a member of the Zeta Sigma Fraternity. During the Spanish-American War, he joined the Army, and served in Cuba with the Rough Riders. After the war, Knox became a newspaper reporter in Grand Rapids. This was the beginning of a career that included ownership of several papers. He changed his first name to Frank around 1900. In 1912 as founding editor of New Hampshire’s Manchester Leader, forerunner to the New Hampshire Union Leader he supported Theodor Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive ticket.. However, with that exception, he adhered to the Republican Party. During World War I, Knox was an advocate of U.S military preparedness and then of participation in the war. When the U.S. declared war on Germany, he rejoined the Army. He reached the rank of Major and served as an artillery officer in France. After the war he returned to the newspaper business. In 1930, Frank Knox became publisher and part owner of the Chicago Daily News. During World War II, Knox, again was an advocate of preparedness.  As an internationalist, he supported aid to the Allies and opposed isolationism. In July 1940, he became Secretary of the Navy under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who sought create bi-partisan support for his foreign and defense policies following the defeat of France. As Secretary, Frank Knox carried out Roosevelt’s plan to expand the Navy into a force capable of fighting in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He traveled extensively to Navy installations worldwide. After the German massacre of civilians in the Czech village of Lidice on 10-06-1942 in reprisal for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich.

 Knox said  “If future generations ask us what we are fighting for, in World War II, we shall tell them the story of Lidice. On 10-06-1944 also the massare of Oradour sur Glane took place Otto Diekmann.

Death and burial ground of Knox, William Franklin “Frankie”.

      Following a brief series of heart attacks, Secretary Knox died in Washington, D.C. on 28-04-1944, age 70, while still in office. He was buried with his wife Annie, born Reid, who died age 72, on 22-09-1958, on Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2, with full military honors. Close by in section 2, the graves the General, Commander 92^nd “ Negro Division” , Edward “Ned” Almond, Major General, Commander 8^th Bomber Command Europe, Fredrick Anderson, Rear Admiral, Commander Destroyer Greyson, Frederic Bell, Navy Admiral, “Operation Crossroads”, William Blandy, General, Commander 32^nd Infantry Division, Clovis Byers, Navy Admiral. Battle of the Leyte Gulf, Robert Carney, Air Force General Lieutenant, Claire Chennault, Brigade General, Assistant Commanding General 45^th Division “Thunder Bird Division  . John Huston Church, Lieutenant General, Commander 4^th Corps, Italy Campaign, Willis Crittenberger

  Major General and commander of the 5^th Infantry Division, Joseph Michaerl Cummins, Brigadier General, First African-American General, Benjamin Davis, Quartermaster Lieutenant General, John Lesesne De Witt, Major General and Head OSS, William “Wild Bill” Donovan, Brigadier General, Speck Easley, Marine Corps Major General, Commander 1^st Raider Battalion , Merrit “Red Mike” Edson, Lieutenant General, VIII Army, Robert Eichelberger, Navy Admiral, Commander Nord Pacific Fleet, Frank Fletscher and Navy Admiral, Commander VII Forces, William Fechteler, Lieutenant General, Commander 86^th Infantry Division, Ridgeley Gaither, Major General, Commander 29^th Infantry Division, D-Day, Charles Gerhardt and Admiral, U.S. Chief of Naval Material, John Gingrich, U.S. Brigadier General, “ Merrill’s Marauders “ in Burma, Frank Down Merril, U.S. 4* Navy Vice Admiral. Commander U.S.S. Hornet, Doolittle Raid, Marc Mitscher.