Frank Adair Doyle

West Point, 1946

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Diana Hairston on December 1, 2012:

Frank Doyle touched the lives of his many friends and their families. I never met Frank Doyle, but I am the daughter of a man who graduated with him at West Point and shared assignments with him-Guy Edward Hairston, Jr-a wingman as well in Korea under the leadership of at that time, Captain John Flynn. Dad was Utah Dog 4. Frank Doyle was greatly loved by his friends, family, and comrades. He was a great pilot by all reports. He had a fabulous sense of humor. Kathleen Hjerter Gee, the wife of one of his classmates, Tommy Gee, said that he was the finest of men. My father said that he was on the radio with him during the last moments of his life. Dad indicated that the men in his group all had a code of honor which included a thumbs up attitude until the very last second they gave their lives for their country. Dad said that he had always kidded Frank about this plaid wool jacket he wore as being hideously out of style and very ugly. He indicated that they both laughed about it on a frequent basis because Frank liked the jacket. When Frank realized that he was not going to make it home, his last words were, "Guy, you can keep my jacket!" and then he went home to heaven in a blast of glory. When my father told me this story, there were tears in his eyes as he smiled. They had a code of being cool under fire. Frank Doyle was the coolest of cool. God bless Frank Doyle and those he knew and loved. Semper fidelis. I,too,served my country as an officer in the Air Force. We belong to a family that has ties that rank and good order and discipline permeates. In order to be a leader, we must be humble and serve.

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