Ret. Col. USMC Franklin C. Bacon

Col. Franklin C. Bacon Sr.(USMC, Ret.) passed away Tuesday, September 28, 2010. Memorial Services will be conducted Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 3pm in the Union Church in Irwinton followed by a reception/celebration of life at 4 pm at the Bacon Homeplace in Irwinton, GA. The family will be at Williams Funeral Home in Milledgeville Friday from 5-7pm to receive friends. Col. Franklin Camp Bacon Sr (USMC, Ret), 91, died Tuesday, 28 September 2010. Born in White Springs FL, 30 July 1919, Col Bacon was the son of Nathaniel Hunter Bacon (of Lexington, GA) and Elizabeth Camp Bacon (of Franklin, VA). He attended South Georgia College (1936-38) and graduated from the University of Georgia in Journalism (1940) and served as a reporter for the Douglas Enterprise and Columbus Enquirer before enlisting in the Marine Corps in June 1941. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. February 1942, assigned to Co B, 1/5 (1st Marine Division), and was in the first attack wave against the Japanese occupying Guadalcanal. Lt Bacon participated in the operations in Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Captain Bacon served in New River (NC), Ft Mifflin (PA), Philadelphia (PA), Guam, Quantico (VA) before forming up the 13th Replacement Draft and shipping out to Korea where he served as S4, XO and CO of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (1st Marine Div), participating in the Inchon landing and along the DMZ, including the Battle of Bunker Hill. He served as G-3 with 1st Marine Div at Camp Pendleton CA, then with Fleet Intelligence Center Europe in Port Lyautey, Morocco. Lt. Col. Bacon served as G-1, G-3 Plans and CO HqBn 2nd Marine Div. and on the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (Andrews AFB). Col Bacon was recipient of the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars (w/Combat V), and Purple Heart (Korean). Retiring in 1967, Col Bacon became the Manager of Public Relations for Freeport Sulphur (New Orleans), was honored by the Louisiana Press Association and later served in the same position at Freeport Kaolin Co (Gordon, GA), before retiring once again, to Milledgeville, GA. Col Bacon served as President of the Milledgeville Chamber of Commerce (1987), President of the 7th ROC (Reserved Officers Class) with annual reunions around the country and publishing a quarterly newsletter to maintain the connection with +160 of the officers’ in his 1941 Marine Officer’s class and their families. He compiled two books (BF Camp: Florida Pines, and Phosphate, Bricks and Baptists; and Annie (1856-1928): A Lifetime of Letters) on the Camp family history and organized and helped manage the Bacon Farms Partnership. Col Bacon also compiled with the most-able assistance of Jane (Gen Rand) Fairburn (now of McCormick, SC and Col Joe Hall (USMC Ret , now of Savannah) The Requiem, a biography of the 7th ROC. At the time of his death he was completing a biography (Rose) of his second wife, Rose Baugh Bacon. He was proud to be a Rotarian in Milledgeville (GA) and was an inveterate letter writer to the Baldwin County Union Recorder. Col Bacon enjoyed reading (history), fishing, poker, cribbage, and golf. Preceding him in death was his first wife (1919 - 1995), Marjorie Edna Caldwell of Swords, GA, He is survived by their sons Franklin Camp (Nancy Terrill) Bacon Jr. of Macon, Paul C. (Marti) Bacon of Kalispell MT, and LtCol John L. (Sandy) Bacon (USMC, ret) of Fredericksburg VA, a grandson, Paul C. (Beth) Bacon Jr, of Maui, HI, grand-daughters, Callie Bacon, Kalispell, MT, and Robyn Dawn (Curtis) Williams of Asheville, NC; his brothers Richard Bacon of Irwinton, GA, Raymond Bacon of Irwinton, GA, and sisters Anne Drexel, Irwinton, GA, and Catherine Moodie of Douglas, GA, (soon Irwinton, GA). On November 25, 1995, Colonel Bacon married Dr. Mary Rose Turner Baugh Bacon, sadly deceased 25 July 2007, survived by daughter, Rosemary Baugh Warren (Hartwell, GA), and sons, Frank W. (Patty) Baugh, of Waycross, GA, (Col USAF Ret), Lt. Col Marty (Julia) Baugh (USAF), and their families, and Dr. James Baugh of Milledgeville, GA. A memorial service will be held at the Union Church, Highway 57 @ Main Street, Irwinton, GA. Saturday, 02 October at 3:00PM followed by a reception / celebration of life at 4:00PM at the Bacon Homeplace, Irwinton GA. Visitation will be Friday 01 October, 5:00 to 7:00PM at Williams Funeral Home, 1670 North Jefferson Street, Milledgeville, GA. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Mary Rose Turner Baugh Bacon Scholarship, c/o Georgia College, Box 96, Milledgeville, GA 31061; or The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, the family request contributions to the Mary Rose Turner Baugh Bacon Scholarship, c/o GC&SU P.O. Box 96, Milledgeville, GA 31061 or The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057.