Frank V. Woods

Frank wrote his own life story a few years before he died, his daughters would like to share here.

An interesting thing to me was that in all the years of exploring the hills behind the dam and Brand’s castle in Glendale, California, where I grew up, was that I never got to the top of those mountains that loomed above. For years I had dreams about hiking back in that area but not being able to see what was on the other side. Although I knew that it would e La Crescenta, Foothill and tec., I still never did it. In about 1986 my son, Charles, and I took a trip to Southern Cal and took the hike. We went up behind the reservoir, past the old abandoned weather station and straight up the firebreak to the top. Sure enough - La Crescenta, Foothills, Glendale College and even over to downtown L.A. and Pasadena and even across the top of the Hollywood Hills. It is a hell of a view.

I finished two years at Glendale College and joined the USAF. Did basic training at Parks AFB near Hayward. I went on to the Aviation Cadet program in various parts of Texas and received my commission at Mather AFB in Sacramento. Almost got married there but was able to duck out at the last minute. From there did two years in Osaka, Japan in a B-26 squadron - got interested in the Japanese language, motorcycles and tennis.

I finished my USAF tour in South Carolina then went to Honolulu, joined the reserve at Hickam AFB and entered the U of Hawaii. I lived with Deryck Calderwood and his wife, Martha. Deryck sort of raised me after the death of my father and mother.

After a year and a half studying Psychology and Japanese, it became evident to me that flying would be my profession. In 1958, I married Shirleen, a gal from Utah I met in San Francisco shortly after my return from Japan. We moved to Fort Worth, Texas where I picked up a couple more pilot ratings and launched into commercial aviation. I flew DC-3 co-pilot for Central Airlines in Fort Worth, spent a year doing bush flying in Gallup, NM for the Navajo Indian tribe and the U.S. Public Health Dept. Did dust storms, sheep on the runways, dearth road one way take off and landings and medicine men who had to bless the prop and wings before some passengers would board.

Joined Northwest Airlines in 1959 as a DC-4, 6, and 7 co-pilot. Took a two year lay-off period during which I flew for Eastern Airlines, the Josten class ring and yearbook company and Air American in the Far East. Shirleen and my two young daughters, Valerie and Vanessa, lived at Tachikawa AFB in tokyo and we flew DC-6 missions of troops and supplies during the very early stage of our involvement in Vietnam - 1962 and 1963. I was recalled by Northwest in 1963 and stayed there until my retirement in 1991 - about 11 months early due to lymphoma. I did about 9 months of the chemotherapy trick and have been clear since 1991. Never felt ill. The doctors told me I was.

Checked out as Captain at NWA in 1967 and since then flew the B-727, B-707 series, DC-10 and the last 8 years the B-747. Froze our butts off in Minnesota for several years, Minneapolis being the Home office for NWA. Have lived in Seattle since 1965 - commuting to wrk at MSP for about 2 years on the DC-10. Had two more kids, F. Charles and Vicki.

Spent the last many years flying to Japan, Korea, Taiwan , the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, and etc. I’ve loved every minute of it.

Since retirement I’ve been really enjoying doing things I want to do and that interest me. My mother’s people left a quite thorough genealogical study but I knew very little about my father’s background since he died when I was 12 (my parents were 45 when I was born). So in the last 2 years Shirleen and I have made two trips to Nebraska and Kansas to learn more. I was amazed. We found my mother’s birthplace in Adams, Neb. and her baby brother’s grave - he died in 1895. Mother was one of 12.

My father was born in Lawrence, Kansas in 1888. His father died when dad was 1 and his mother when he was three. All 7 kids lived in the same house and were raised by the oldest two kids - my Uncle Charlie and Aunt May who lived on Glenwood Ave just south of us on Winchester. We found my grandfather and grandmother’s graves in Lawrence with significant headstones that the kids bought. Also foot stones placed by the Union Army since he had served with the 11th Illinois Engineers.

The house is still there on Mass. St. in Lawrence and is listed in the Kansas historical archives as the “Woods House”.

Take care and best wishes.