Col. Arnold Franklin, USAF retired and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, who led a successful strike mission from England on Libya in 1986 was honored in November when he was inducted into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame in Lexington, Ky. Colonel Franklin, along with several others, was honored for their contributions to aviation and aerospace during the induction.
Colonel Franklin is a command pilot with over 3,500 flying hours. He logged 782 combat hours in F-111s and OV-10s during his Southeast Asia tours of duty and while assigned to RAF Lakenheath, England. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the Air Medal with 15 oak leaf clusters.
He joins fellow Aviation Heritage Park honorees who have also been inducted into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame: General Dan Cherry (2000), LCDR John Magda (2000), General Russ Dougherty (1998), Col. Terry Wilcutt (2008).
