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<p>In the early hours of November 13, 2019, General <em>Volney Frank Warner</em> (U.S. Army, Retired) slipped from this plane into the next after a long and well-waged war against cancer. He was 93, in his home, and held by loved ones in comfort and quiet. </p>
<p>For over three decades, Volney Frank’s career was written on the shoulders of his uniform, butter bar (lieutenant) to four stars. Prior to graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, he served a brief enlistment in the United States Navy. On entering West Point, Volney Frank learned that his duties in the U.S. Navy had not prepared him for the mathematical curriculum. Like General George Patton, Volney Frank repeated his plebe year. He not only succeeded but became the class leader of his cadet company throughout the succeeding four years and a close friend of its members for life. </p>
<p>Class of 1950 was called from graduation leave to immediate service in the Korean War. Volney Frank’s courageous and effective leadership in that conflict portended the greatness he was to achieve as a combat leader. By the time he retired from active military service, Volney Frank was highly decorated. His awards included two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, two Legion of Merit awards and a Distinguished Flying Cross. The Army can credit the devotion and character of Volney Frank’s wife, Belva Janice Warner, for securing this outstanding man and officer. Volney Frank refused to leave her to take his West Point appointment. She left from Woonsocket, SD to support him from Highland Falls and West Point, NY. Their marriage saw four children—Victoria, Volney James, Jerry and Valerie—multiple wars, 29 moves, and almost 70 years.</p>
<p>Volney Frank’s career included command of the 9th Infantry Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps. He was Assistant Division Commander for Operations of the 82nd Airborne Division, the executive officer and senior aide to the Army Chief of Staff and, at last, closed his career as the Commander of U.S. Readiness Command. He was instrumental in the avoidance of bloodshed at the second Wounded Knee incident and is today recognized as a hero by the Sioux Indian Tribe. He is credited with having coined the phrase “boots on the ground” during an interview with the Christian Science Monitor in 1980.</p>
<p>After retirement, Volney Frank continued to serve the military and his country in an advisory capacity. He also became a consultant and board member of several defense industries before establishing his own successful defense company, VFW Associates Inc.</p>
<p>Beyond the stars and stripes, ribbons and medals, polished boots and regulation coif, Volney Frank was husband and partner, dad, grandpa and great grandpa. Volney Frank and Janice Warner turned their little DC area home into a veritable family palace. It was the site of many a family crab feast, holiday celebration, and grand table spread. They celebrated the births of grandchildren who went on to become exemplary adults, as military service members and civilian professionals alike. They witnessed the births of great-grandchildren and watched them grow. Volney Frank passed down his diplomatic yet jocular demeanor, his often-startling genius, and his indescribable gift at landing a well-timed barb.</p>
<p>Volney Frank Warner was a South Dakota boy, becoming a chiseled Army general. There was nothing the Army could teach him that his Midwestern roots couldn’t strengthen, and nothing he discovered that he was unwilling to share. He was an incredible leader, remarkable thinker, and devoted family patriarch. One did not come into Volney Frank Warner’s orbit and leave unaffected. Indeed, when one came into the Warner orbit, one rarely left it. Family, friends, classmates, fellow soldiers and foreign nationals alike celebrated Volney Frank’s life and accomplishments at his memorial, an event full of laughs, tears, and the sort of stories that will be told around friendly tables for generations to come. </p>
<p>Volney Frank packed so much meaning into the name “Warner” that in his absence one wonders what’s left. He left a world that could certainly have used more of him. He is survived by his beloved wife, Janice, as well as four children, seven of his grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Volney Frank was laid to rest at West Point, where his Army story began. His Columbarium section overlooks the grave of his granddaughter Laura Margaret Walker, who preceded him in death, KIA.</p>
<p>He will be sorely missed, and he was dearly loved. For those who believe, Volney Frank will never truly be gone. He will remain in stories, smiles, and the great swath of exceptional lives his own touched. </p>
<p><em>— Sara Warner, granddaughter, and Mike Dowe Jr., classmate</em></p>
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