Frank P. Calderon was born July 29, 1930 in Canton, Ohio. At the age of 16, he tried to enlist into the Marines, but was turned away. He was drafted a few years later into the United States Army in April 1951 during the Korean conflict. He was assigned to Artillery in the 1st Armored Division (Old Ironsides) at Fort Hood, Texas. Frank's division was deployed to Germany on USS Geiger as support to the allied troops against the Soviets. He was one of nine crew members who fired the 37 mm cannons and 50 caliber machine guns. He was honorably discharged for his services in late March 1953.
Frank moved to Los Angeles in 1969 and married Pearline Calderon in 1965, (lasting 55 years until his death) and raised a family of 4 children in Lynwood, Calif. Frank's family has a large number of veterans from all branches extending from WWII to the Iraq War, including both of his sons. Frank passed away Feb. 24, 2020, and is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery. He will be mostly honored on Memorial Day by family and friends for his compassionate and relentless advocacy (driven by his enormous faith in God) for the Constitution our forefathers gave us and freedoms our soldiers gave so much for; for his volunteerism and community accomplishments that improved the quality of life for vulnerable seniors, the disabled and other veterans; and for his positive outlook on life, his sense of humor, and his motto that guided him through life, "Love for God first, Family second, and Country third."
Frank P. Calderon was a life member of The American Legion for 49 years, Post 653 in Los Angeles. He was also a member of the Disabled American Veterans for an equal amount of time. Frank enjoyed his veteran brothers and sisters. He helped commission a Veteran's Memorial in his city of Lynwood. He went to many Memorial and Veterans Day events. I can see my dad, Frank Calderon, standing in Heaven on Memorial Day, proudly saluting our veterans laid to rest.