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<em>Frank Austin Hardy</em> came to West Point from Richmond, VA, in the summer of 1974. From the day he joined the Class of ’78 in Beast Barracks, to the day of his untimely passing seven short years later, Frank capti­vated everyone with his wit, his enthusiasm, and his boundless vitality. Uncompromisingly loyal to the countless friends he made at West Point and in the Army, Frank’s departure from our ranks struck us all to the very core.</p>
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Frank was born on 1 Jul 1956 in Cleveland, OH, the first of three sons born to Frank and Virginia Hardy. His family relocated to Richmond in the late fifties and remains there today. Frank attended Douglas Freeman High School, where he was both an exceptional stu­dent and a gifted athlete, and his friendliness and individualism impressed all.</p>
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Frank stayed close to those he associated with through sports, academics or social life. An avid athlete, Frank participated in most sports. Whether it was high school football, track or little league baseball, Frank always competed. Opposing batter’s legs would shake when approaching the plate to face Frank, not only because he had a blistering fastball, but also because he led the league in hit batsmen. Frank was also competitive in academics and routinely would wager fellow classmates as to who would get the best grades. Frank also en­joyed an active social life and seldom missed a party or beach weekend.</p>
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Frank did not follow the crowd; he was a leader. His choices were based on his own be­liefs and perceptions rather than the accepted way. He showed this quality in everything he did. Latin not Spanish, track not basketball, West Point not UVA, all emphasized his sense of individualism. Frank knew who he was and where he was going.</p>
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Frank’s time at West Point was marked by a spirited enjoyment of the lighter side of life as a cadet. Membership in both the SCUBA and Sports Parachute Clubs fed his restless sense of adventure and complemented the many weekend escapades shared with Gary Kelley, George Dunaway, and a stable of other friends. Leisure aside, Frank balanced his buoyant approach to recreational activi­ties with a practical, common sense attitude towards the Dean’s academic departments. Beneath his fun-loving exterior grew an in­creasing sense of focus and dedication to the fundamentals of the service that he would be called upon to give. Frank took on the chal­lenge of Ranger School his cow summer and wore his tab as proudly as any gray hog in the Corps. His First Class summer, he served as a cadre member at the Jungle School in Panama. Frank picked Infantry, and followed that with selection of the 82nd Airborne Division for his first assignment.</p>
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Frank was a rifle platoon leader and later an anti-tank platoon leader in the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry (Airborne), at Ft. Bragg, NC. He hit the ground running, making his mark early as one of the strongest lieutenants in the unit. He worked his way through intensified training and increased readiness cycles, earning a reputation as an exceptionally competent, charismatic leader who motivated his paratroopers with com­mon sense and a quiet professionalism.</p>
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Frank enjoyed the fruits of bachelorhood whenever he was in from the sand and pines of the Ft. Bragg training areas and became well known to the ladies at Willies, the basement bar at the Club, and he captivated more than one with his smile, his humor, and his irrepressible approach. He supplemented his local pursuits with occasional trips to the beach or back home to Richmond, sustaining the firm ties to his family and friends from his younger days.</p>
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Never fully satisfied with static line jumps toting an overstuffed ruck, Frank also sus­tained his interest in skydiving, spending many enjoyable weekends on the drop zone, honing his relative work and sharpening the skills developed at West Point. It was through the sport parachute club that Frank was in­troduced to the Special Forces, and it did not take long for him to determine that he would enjoy both the excitement of the missions and the less structured approach to doing business in the SF community.</p>
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An experienced lieutenant, Frank went “down the street” at Bragg, breezed through the Special Forces Officer Course, and earned his Green Beret in the summer of 1980. He was assigned as a Detachment executive offi­cer in B Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and rapidly picked up the pace of Special Forces duties. Frank soon attended the Army’s physically demand­ing Combat Diver Qualification Course at Key West, FL, earning his SCUBA Badge and a prospective assignment to an elite HALO/SCUBA team.</p>
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Frank began the Special Forces Freefall Parachute Course in the spring of 1981 and quickly demonstrated his mastery of freefall skills. He moved easily through each stage of the Program of Instruction. On 25 Mar 1981, however, Frank experienced a double malfunction of his primary and reserve para­chutes. Unsuccessful despite his continuing efforts to clear the malfunctions, Frank lost his life on the jump. In light of Frank’s experience and exceptional performance, the accident investigation focused particular scrutiny on the equipment that the course was using at the time. The school was subsequently closed down for several months, as an entirely new design of parachute was procured and instruc­tors trained and certified on its use.</p>
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As tragic as Frank’s untimely death was for all of us, we can take heart in the fact that Frank died as he had lived: free of spirit, full of energy, and doing the things he loved most. He left an indelible impression on everyone he encountered and, in his all-too-short career, provided for us an unsur­passed example of compe­tence, enthusiasm, and an evenhanded dedication to both the serious and the more pleasurable pursuits in life. He long has been missed, and he never will be forgotten.</p>
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<em>—His family and classmates</em></p>
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His caption to this photograph: Mean, lean, agile, noble—but mostly hostile. July '76</p>