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Navy divers find body of missing sailor BRUNSWICK -A Navy medical corpsman who had been missing since the Marine helicopter he was in crashed into the Atlantic was found dead Sunday by a team of Navy divers, military officials said. Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin J. Frank, 39, of Ocean City, Md., had been missing since Saturday morning, when the Marine helicopter went down about 30 miles southeast of Savannah. He was stationed at the Beaufort (S.C.) Naval Hospital. Navy divers found the body in the 90-foot-deep water, just outside the helicopter, about 3 p.m. Sunday. The Marine helicopter had crashed while helping search for the occupant of a civilian helicopter that crashed in the same area Friday night, killing two men. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beaufort Holds Memorial for Corpsman
Killed in Crash BEAUFORT, S.C. (NNS) -- A memorial
service was held this week at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort chapel for
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Kevin J. Frank. Frank was killed in a helicopter
crash that occurred while helping the U.S. Coast Guard search for survivors of
an earlier civilian crash. |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tears fell and my heart shattered as I read this article. I was trying to help a dear soul determine whether the news she had received was true or not. Had our dear friend Kevin Frank aka Bat Out of Hell, aka THOR, God of Thunder, truly lost his life? I had hoped to find nothing to confirm this and then the above article appeared on my screen. My initial thoughts were "God NO! How could such a beautiful soul be taken from us in such tragedy." I had to go into the forum and let our friends know of this loss, as the one person who knew him better than me was in no shape to do so. Since then it has been clear in many of the Chathouse forums that this was a dearly loved and respected man. I was asked to compose this today and am doing so on a deadline so many thoughts and emotions will go unsaid but I hope to properly memorialize this Hero. I met Kevin a little over a year ago, he was using his Bat Out of Hell handle and it was my first morning in Chathouse. I didn't know anyone yet and he immediately started to talk to me as I came into the room. Asking me questions about myself, where I was from, about my son, etc. We talked for a few hours that day and started to form a friendship that I will now treasure until I meet him again. Not too long after we met, he had formed a relationship with someone I had also recently befriended, Princess Laya Star. The three of us spent many hours in the Hot Tub and the Ladies Room chatting. We had so many laughs and so much fun together. So often he laughed and told Princess Laya and I that we were insane for our online antics. There are so many memories shared with the two of them that I will hold close to my heart forever now. I watched this man reach out to so many chatters, he had a way of just making you feel special. Many times when the chips were down Kevin would give me a phone call to cheer me up. When my husbands best friend passed away suddenly last summer, Kevin was immediately on the phone giving me the encouragement I needed to get through those hard days. When I found out I was expecting a child Kevin called to share in that joy. These were just the things that Kevin did for those he cared about. I hurt to know that never again will I hear his voice, him laughing on the phone and making me forget the issues in the real world. The way he could make it all better with two words that he always had for me when I was down "Smile Darlin." It was Kevin's way of saying," it will get better!" The last three days I have sat back and smiled as well as cried at memories of this amazing man. I will never again listen to Lynard Skynard without shedding a tear and thinking of Kevin saying "Love those Georgia Peaches" in PM to me whenever I posted one of my photos online. To find out Kevin lost his life trying to help others was a blow to my heart but it also hit me that he could not have left a more fitting tribute for who Kevin J. Frank was. He was always there to lift you up, to encourage you, and to make you see that things will get better. Over the last three days I have heard his voice so often telling me, "Smile Darlin." I also cannot help but to think that the name of his helicopter, Angel One, could not have been more appropriate. For this was truly an angel to those blessed enough to have met him. There are so many things I will miss about this friend of mine and so much I could say, but I think that I will let the deep emotions expressed throughout the last few days in the Forums speak for themselves. I am just adding pieces of the posts, you can view the full posts in Forums in the Ladies Room, Great Hall, and House of Lords. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BAT, you will be missed by all! Still today when I think about Kevin he
can bring a smile to my face! He will never, ever be forgotten. He truly IS
special, even from up above! He touched a lot of people! I don't get real close to many people,
but am good at sizing them up, by how they interact with others. I don't have to
say anything to those who knew him, because you know this, and more. But if you
didn't know him, let me tell you, he was a genuinely nice guy, the kind
ChatHouse, his country, and the world, need more of. Bat will remain with those he touched
with his gentle strength, his caring nature...and his wonderful sense oh humor. Sits in stunned silence. Words cannot
express this heaviness in my heart. May he rest in peace. now i watch you flying high in the sky Jesus....tell me it's not true!!!!!!!! If I could wake up tomorrow
and have one wish come true, it would be to spend one more day with you!! One
more phone call...one more laugh.. one more tear.. Now my love your wings will
soar......*sobbing* Fly High My Angel.....Fly High!!!!!!! Kevin.....you were so
special to so many...... and we'll never be the same without you!! Hey Darlin.. Now your wings will
spread & take you to heights you have never been.. *really shocked* Kevin was one of my very best Friends.. i miss Him terribly.. *softly crying
again* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can view these and other posts in the Forums of Chathouse. As an added Request, Princess Laya Star, Kevin's soul mate, has requested that if you live near a body of water, be it an ocean, lake, or a pond, please go place flowers in the water in memory of Kevin. Take a minute to recall that this hero died for each of us. Thank you all. Kevin, to you hun, I say, spread those angel wings and fly free darlin. I will carry you within my heart until the day we meet again. Every time I hear Lynard Skynard's Free Bird I will smile through tears thinking of you. Though I may not hear your voice again on this earth, I will keep you alive through the memories we created over the last year. Until I meet you again, I will keep you in my heart and I will I keep an eye on the one you loved more than any other never letting her forget what she was to you. Love you bunches Kevin, |
