[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13895-13896]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING LIEUTENANT COLONEL FRANCIS D. FAULCONER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan of Tennessee). The Chair 
recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a decorated World 
War II Army liaison, an accomplished radio and television broadcaster, 
and my beloved great uncle, retired Lieutenant Colonel Francis D. 
Faulconer.
  Soon after graduating from Lafayette High School in Lexington, 
Kentucky, Frank Faulconer enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 
and was deployed to Europe in the Liaison G3 section of the first 
United States Army. In this capacity, he traveled with Combat Command A 
of the 3rd Army Spearhead Division from Meaux, France, to Rottgen, 
Germany.
  He earned five Bronze Stars for his service in Normandy, northern 
France; Rhineland, Central Europe; and the Ardennes. He additionally 
was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for helping to escort the 
reserve elements of the Combat Command, at night, from the rear to the 
forward elements of the battle line.

[[Page 13896]]

  In 1946, Faulconer enrolled at the University of Kentucky under the 
GI Bill and earned a degree in oratory. He got his first start in 
broadcasting after he accepted a part-time job at radio station WKLX, 
where he became the station's official announcer to broadcast the Big 
Bands from 1948 to 1949 from Joyland Dance Casino.
  In 1950, Faulconer joined the Officers' Reserve Corps, where he 
eventually retired from the Army Reserve in 1974 with the rank of 
lieutenant colonel.
  Faulconer continued his broadcasting career by joining the WKYT 
Channel 27 news team in Lexington, where he became the station's first 
weatherman. He later transferred to Channel 36, where his career soared 
as a TV and weather broadcaster until 1986. There, he developed a 
reputation for having a melodious baritone voice with a colorful and 
entertaining style in delivering the daily weather forecast.
  Faulconer then became radio station WKQQ's first weatherman, where he 
became known as Fearless Frank Faulconer, and known for his Fearless 
Frank's Five Day Forecasts until he retired in 2001.
  During Faulconer's long and illustrious career, he received various 
awards both nationally and locally for his unique approach to weather 
broadcasting.
  This year, on his 93rd birthday, June 16 was declared Frank Faulconer 
Day by the city of Lexington, Kentucky, honoring his years of service 
on radio, television, and as a World War II veteran.
  I am proud of Lieutenant Colonel Faulconer's service to this country 
and for the many years of weather broadcasting. He has truly helped 
keep millions of Americans safe both at home and abroad. We recognize 
his service to our country, this true patriot and inspiration to us 
all.

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