Former Hoffman Estates trustee, Korean War vet moved by Honor Flight

Former Hoffman Estates village Trustee Ed Frank, who served as a combat reporter for the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, says his recent Honor Flight to Washington far exceeded even his long-built expectations.

"I was anxious to go, to see what it was like," Frank said. "I wasn't emotional about any of it until we got to the Korean War Memorial. I choked up. We owe so much to our veterans. That touched me."

What especially moved the 86-year-old was seeing the memorial alongside fellow veterans, and feeling a sense of camaraderie that was almost new to him.

Another of the veterans on the flight was Joe Slavik, the 103-year-old father-in-law of the late Michael O'Malley, Hoffman Estates' former mayor with whom Frank served on the village board. Slavik, who was accompanied by his daughter Maribeth - the late mayor's widow - is a World War II vet.

Though Frank was a reporter, not a pilot, he did see combat from late 1951 through late 1952.

On one occasion, he went up in the back seat of a T-33 on a mission in which the plane came under fire.

The pilot told him that in the event they were hit and damaged, he'd turn the plane upside-down and blow the canopy, allowing them to evacuate with parachutes. There was no way to eject from the plane flying right side up.

The plane landed intact, however, leaving Frank with an adrenaline rush he remembers vividly to this day. He could also report back the six-digit number from the body of an enemy plane.

After the war, Frank moved from his native New Jersey to the Chicago area and ultimately was involved with local government in Hoffman Estates for 22 years.