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Frank Owen Bonnarens was born in Washington, Iowa on 11 February 1932, the son of Edward and Alice Bonnarens. He graduated from high school at Our Lady of Victory Academy, Waterloo, Iowa.</div>
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Entering the Air Force in 1950, he subsequently attended the Preparatory School at Stewart Air Base and won an appointment to West Point in 1952. As a cadet he was a steady scholar, a highly competitive athlete, and active in the Catholic Chapel. His extracurricular interests ranged from pistol and skeet shooting to membership on the Public Relations Council. At graduation he chose Infantry as his branch and Aviation as his specialty.</div>
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Shortly after June Week, Frank married Rina Sabini of New York City, and took his lovely bride with him to Fort Benning, Georgia, his first assignment. There he completed the Officer Basic Course and Ranger School, and went on to fixed wing training in 1957. Interrupting a two-year hitch with the 4th Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, he completed rotary wing transition and then moved out smartly to Korea for a one-year assignment with the 1st Battle Group, 8th Cavalry.</div>
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Following this tour as an Infantry “paddy-pounder,” it was back to Fort Benning and the Officer Advanced Course. After a short stint with the 2nd Infantry Division, Frank was picked for duty with the newly formed 11th Air Assault Division and participated in all the tests of this new concept of aerial</div>
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warfare. He deployed to Vietnam with the division in August 1965 and stayed with it until April 1966 when he was assigned to the 171st Aviation Company, directly supporting the Special Forces Group, Vietnam. In recognition of his outstanding performance during this period, Frank was awarded the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, and eight Air Medals.</div>
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Returning to Fort Rucker, Alabama, Frank served with the staff and faculty of the Army Aviation School, passing on to others the knowledge he had gained as a combat aviator. This sojourn was brief and, in 1968, Frank, now a major, was posted back to Vietnam for duty with the I Field Force. On 19 September 1968, Frank died as a result of injuries received when the aircraft he was piloting crashed. His body was escorted back to West Point by a classmate, Paul Merola, and he was interred at the Post Cemetery on 4 October 1968. His memory lives on in the hearts of all who knew him. As a man, his ready smile and quick wit won him friends wherever he went. As a soldier, he always demonstrated strong leadership and a sense of mission accomplishment. His career stands as an example to us all.</div>
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Frank is survived by his wife, Rina; his son, Frank, Jr.; and three daughters, Joanne, Michele, and Maura.</div>