WASHINGTON — Scientists debated the origins of COVID-19 on Tuesday, trading barbs over whether the bulk of evidence available points to a natural spillover event from a wild animal or a virus designed in a lab and then let loose through an inadvertent leak.

The hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee was part of ongoing efforts in Congress to apply the lessons learned during the pandemic to prevent or blunt the next outbreak.

Gregory Koblentz, associate professor and director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University in Virginia, said during the two-hour hearing that debate continues in the scientific community about the origins.

“The possibility that SARS-CoV-2 was deliberately developed as a biological weapon has been unanimously rejected by all U.S. intelligence agencies,” Koblentz testified. “While the intelligence community is divided on the origin of the pandemic, most of the agencies have determined that the virus was not genetically engineered.”

Residents in Wuhan, China, were first diagnosed with “an atypical pneumonia-like illness” in December 2019, according to a COVID-19 timeline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Initial cases all appeared linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market at the time, though there has since been much speculation about the types of research taking place at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Koblentz said he believes the available evidence points to a spillover event from an animal, though he added a “research-related accident can’t be ruled out at this time.”

The lack of transparency and data from the Chinese government has significantly hindered scientists’ efforts to unify around the origin of COVID-19, he said.

Scientists battle over lab vs. spillover

Richard Ebright, board of governors professor of chemistry and chemical biology and laboratory director at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, testified he believes a “large preponderance of evidence indicates SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, entered humans through a research incident.”

Ebright also leveled criticism at fellow panelist Robert Garry, who, along with a handful of co-authors, published an opinion article in the journal nature medicine in March 2020, titled “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2.”

In the commentary, Garry and the other scientists wrote, “we do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible.”

Ebright said during Tuesday’s hearing that the opinion article represented “scientific misconduct up to and including fraud,” a characterization that Garry rejected during the hearing.

“The authors were stating their opinion, but that opinion was not well-founded,” Ebright said. “In March of 2020, there was no basis to state that as a conclusion, as opposed to simply being a hypothesis.”

Garry, professor and associate dean of the School of Medicine at Tulane University in Louisiana, argued on behalf of the spillover event during the hearing, testifying that the virus likely didn’t move directly from a bat to humans, but went to an unidentified intermediary animal.

“The bat coronaviruses are viruses that are spread by the gastrointestinal route,” Garry said. “For a virus like this to become a respiratory virus — it’s just going to require too many mutations, too many changes for a bat virus to spill directly over to a human being. That could only really happen in nature with replication through an intermediate animal.”

Garry also defended gain-of-function research during the hearing, arguing that it has had some beneficial impact, though he noted that it does need “appropriate safeguards and restrictions.”

Lawmakers and pundits have used several, often evolving, definitions for gain-of-function research in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Society for Microbiology defines it as techniques “used in research to alter the function of an organism in such a way that it is able to do more than it used to do.”

When research is “responsibly performed” on highly transmissible and pathogenic viruses, it can lead to advances in public health and national security, Garry testified.

“Without gain-of-function research, we’d have no Tamiflu. Without gain-of-function research, we wouldn’t have a vaccine to prevent cancer caused by infection by the human papilloma virus,” Garry said. “And without gain-of-function research, we won’t be able to identify how novel viruses infect us. And if we don’t know how they infect us, we cannot develop appropriate treatments and cures for the next potential pandemic creating virus.”

Oversight of funding, research

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan raised several questions about whether there’s enough oversight of how the United States spends research dollars as well as what mechanisms are in place to monitor how private entities conduct certain types of research.

“While their research has the potential to cure diseases and boost our economy, unless they accept federal funding, there is very little federal oversight to ensure that private labs are engaged in safe and ethical research,” she said.

Koblentz from George Mason University said there is much less oversight of biosafety and biosecurity for private research facilities that don’t receive federal funding.

“In order to expand the scope of oversight to all privately funded research, (it) would require legislative action,” Koblentz said.

Congress, he said, should establish a national bio-risk management agency that would have authority over biosafety and biosecurity “regardless of the source of funding.”

“At the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter where the funding comes from in terms of making sure this research is being done safely, securely and responsibly,” Koblentz said.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, ranking member on the committee, said the panel will hold an upcoming hearing specifically on gain-of-function research, including what steps Congress should take to ensure it doesn’t put the public at risk.

The next pandemic

Committee Chairman Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, said during the hearing that lawmakers “must learn from the challenges faced during this pandemic to ensure we can better protect Americans from future potential biological incidents.”

“Our government needs the flexibility to determine the origins of naturally occurring outbreaks, as well as potential outbreaks that could arise from mistakes or malicious intent,” Peters said.

Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, after listening to some of the debate, expressed exasperation that so much attention is going toward what caused the last pandemic and not on how to prepare for the next one.

“Given the fact that it could have been either, we know what action we ought to take to protect from either,” Romney said. “And so why there’s so much passion around that makes me think it’s more political than scientific, but maybe I’m wrong.”

The United States, he said, shouldn’t be funding gain-of-function research and should “insist” that anyone who receives federal funding follow the standards of the International Organization for Standardization.

by Jennifer Shutt, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and X.

We spoke to organizers of the third annual Gospel-Fest event held Saturday, June 15, at the Gazebo-anchored Village Commons Park at the intersection of East Main and Chester Streets in Historic Downtown Front Royal. The event, organized in support of Habitat for Humanity efforts on behalf of families struggling to maintain a livable home situation in this community, featured Gospel music performances by a number of area musical and church-based groups.

A full list of featured performers was supplied to us by event organizer Pastor Shannon Roman of The Embassy Deliverance & Worship Center, Front Royal, Va. Campus, they were: Mary and Wimpy Kenny, Band of Brothers, Voices of Grace, Meade Skelton, The Diamond Warriors, House of God Path to Heaven Worship Team, Heart of Worship Dancers, and Grace by Faith. Below band and choir shots were provided by organizers without IDs – But let’s just say you all know who you are and how great you all were on Saturday.

From the Gazebos stage, Gospel and spiritually oriented choirs and musicians expressed the spirit of unity of purpose in providing community assistance to families in need. While we don’t have IDs for the musical performers photos, you and the crowd, knows who you are and how GREAT you all were. A full list of performers is included in the story text. – Courtesy Photos Gospel-Fest organizers

Pastor Roman cited Virginia Housing as the event’s primary sponsor and added this observation about the impetus of the now annual Gospel-Fest: “This event was to showcase the Christianity in Habitat For Humanity and show people that we care about helping people to live safely and get affordable housing in our community. We thank the Lord for allowing us to have such a great event that didn’t only showcase singers but also brought churches together to serve one mission and that’s to glorify God for allowing us to come together to build in our community for families in need.

“It was an awesome event … the 4th year is in the works,” she enthused of a project she helped launch three years ago.

We also reached out to Habitat for Humanity, whose director Andrea Ross responded. “Warren County Habitat for Humanity would like to take the time to thank all of the vendors and churches that came out and showed their support. There was soul stirring music, dancing, delicious food and everyone had a good time.

Let’s have some fun – I think we already are!!! – Courtesy Photos Gospel-Fest organizers

“The kids got to get their faces painted, made slime, painted rocks and enjoyed the bounce house. We are grateful for the support of the community to be able to present what fun, faith and unity looks like. Events like the Gospel Fest allow us to remind our citizens publicly that we are a resource for affordable housing and home repairs for the residents of Warren County,” Ross observed, adding, “A special thank you to Virginia Housing as our premium sponsor, Premier Home and Lawn Care LLC for donating the bounce house, State Farm agencies of Bill Powers and Ellen Aders,” Ross added with a nod to all those others who contributed to the event. “We are excited to prepare for our 4th Annual Gospel Fest and we are looking forward to it getting bigger and better as it has every year.”

Event booths, starting with Habitat for Humanity’s Deborah Siksay chatting with neighboring business owner Jim Justice of the Chester St. Tavern, and on reflected the spiritual unity in joining together to provide community assistance to those in need. – Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Sponsors included: Harvest Mission, Latter Day Saints, Luxor Detailing, Leaf Home, Laura’s Lemonade, Capture the Moment by Jenn, Artsifi Gems, Seniors First, Kim Roivas, Just Serve, Sewfanciful ETC, A Little of Heaven Catering, Merry Mountain Mama, EM Woodworking, Bad Dog Barbeque LLC, Signs and Designs by Laura, Grace Bible Fellowship, Warren County Democratic Committee, Romans Hair School Front Royal, Embassy Deliverance & Worship, Warren Coalition, Orchard Ministries International, Guts Media, Busy B Wood Art, Riverton United, Gonewestern Tack & Apparel.

Colonel Daniel Charles Daly, 92, of Front Royal, Virginia, passed away on Monday, June 17, 2024, at Commonwealth Senior Living in Front Royal.

Colonel Daniel Charles Daly

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 10:30 AM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 120 West Main Street, Front Royal, with Father Tom Shepanzyk officiating.  Burial will follow at Quantico National Cemetery.

Colonel Daly was born on January 21, 1932, in Tampa, Florida, to the late Henry and Ethel Welch Daly.  He retired from the United States Marine Corps achieving the rank of Colonel. He was a graduate of the University of Maryland, served in the Vietnam War and was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Joanne R. Daly of Front Royal; son, Daniel C. Daly Jr. of Washington, DC; daughter, Joanne Marie Carver (Steven) of Strasburg, Virginia; two grandchildren, Jacob S. Carver and Haley Carver and one great grandchild.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at Maddox Funeral Home, 105 West Main Street, Front Royal.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 120 West Main Street, Front Royal, Virginia 22630 or to Gentiva Hospice, 420 Neff Ave #110, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801.

Democratic leaders in the Virginia Senate thought they could go their own way on the scheduling and policy agenda for a rare June special session. But things didn’t go according to plan Tuesday as the Senate spent a whole day in Richmond without taking up a single bill.

Supporters of the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program watch lawmakers from the Senate gallery. (Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury)

Supporters of bills to legalize skill games and reverse recent cost-cutting measures imposed on a program that allows some military families to get tuition-free college filled a meeting room Tuesday morning to see the Senate act on the two hot-button issues that were expected to be on the agenda.

Virginia Senate set to take up military tuition program, skill games

The Senate committee that was supposed to get the day rolling Tuesday morning gaveled in an hour late as senators repeatedly ducked in and out of backroom huddles. And when the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting got underway, Chair Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, announced the committee wouldn’t be voting on either topic after all.

When that committee meeting ended, Democrats leaders hinted they had a backup plan in the works as they headed to the Senate floor. When that plan also failed to gain traction, the Senate wrapped up its day without much of anything happening except speeches.

“I’m livid. It’s ridiculous,” said Norfolk military wife Suzanne Wheatley. “I took a day out of my life, I took a day out of my child’s life, to be here.”

The lack of action left both issues in limbo as the Senate left town again with a vague agreement to reconvene by July 1.

Wheatley and several other people who traveled to Richmond Tuesday expressed disgust over what they saw as a round of political sniping over veteran benefits that went nowhere and gave them no clarity on what the state intends to do about the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, or VMSDEP.

“It’s a move-the-goalposts exercise,” said Stafford County military veteran and advocate Caitlin Goodale-Porter.

VMSDEP waives public higher education for spouses and children of military members killed or severely disabled as a result of their service. Alarmed by a spike in the numbers of students using the benefit and the associated costs for state colleges, policymakers recently changed the rules of the program to make fewer families eligible for it.

A bipartisan budget deal approved last month imposed a stricter Virginia residency requirement, prevents the waivers from being used for advanced degrees or a second undergraduate degree and requires participants to first pursue other forms of financial aid and only use VMSDEP for remaining costs.

Though Democrats have pointed out many Republicans backed the VMSDEP changes before demanding that they be reversed, Democrats are split over whether they should go along with Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s call to immediately repeal the VMSDEP reforms. The inaction Tuesday gave Republicans an easier opening to argue dysfunction in the Democratic-controlled legislature was preventing a policy misstep from being fixed.

Lucas refused to docket a bill backed by the Senate Republicans and at least four Senate Democrats, numbers that could’ve given the legislation enough votes to pass in a chamber where Democrats hold a slim 21-19 majority.

“I stand with our military heroes, first responders, and their families today who are stunned that Senate Democrat leadership failed to even consider a simple bill, supported by a bipartisan majority of Senators, to reverse the changes to VMSDEP by fully repealing the language, and addressing this in the full light of day,” Youngkin said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon. “These men and women deserve so much better.”

Two Democratic lawmakers — Sens. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax and Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun — were absent from the Capitol Tuesday as they both competed in a congressional primary election the same day. Given the lack of votes in the Senate, it’s unclear if their absence affected Democrats’ decision to not bring any bills to the floor. All 19 Republicans were present, giving the GOP equal voting strength to Democrats with Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears acting as the tie-breaker.

Both parties in the House of Delegates have expressed support for passing a complete repeal bill like the one Lucas blocked when the House returns to the Capitol on June 28.

Democratic leaders in the Senate said it was Republicans who were being intransigent by refusing to work with the majority party.

“The Republican caucus wouldn’t cooperate with us on any of the two solutions we proposed,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, told reporters after the Senate finished for the day.

Lucas had filed a bill partially rolling back the VMSDEP changes by ensuring that anyone using VMSDEP to enroll in classes this fall wouldn’t be impacted by the eligibility changes and exempting the families of veterans killed or wounded in combat with a 90% disability rating. Democrats have said that proposal would reduce the disruption to college plans military families say they’ve experienced since the budget was passed, while also moving the program closer to its original purpose of helping families impacted by war instead of being a more open-ended benefit.

At the committee meeting, Lucas faulted the governor as she explained the decision to not take up her own bill. On Monday, Youngkin’s office had said the governor would not act on a skill game bill until the General Assembly had fully repealed the VMSDEP changes.

“Yesterday the governor seemed to indicate that he wouldn’t sign a skill game bill until after the VMSDEP changes are repealed,” Lucas said. “I’m not going to pit constituents against each other. We care about all of you. We need solutions on both issues. And we’ll have to continue working in both.”

Lucas announced that she was creating a legislative work group to study VMSDEP and directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to take a deeper look at data showing how the program is or isn’t working as intended. Youngkin has already convened his own task force to study the program.

Democrats proposed another VMSDEP fix: simply delaying the effective date of the changes until Oct. 1 while the work group conducted its research. That idea went nowhere, Surovell said, because Republicans wouldn’t agree to help Democrats with procedural votes to get it onto the floor Tuesday.

Virginia House and Senate will take up military tuition benefit on different days

When questioned by reporters as she left the Capitol, Lucas didn’t give a clear answer on what she would do if the House sends the Senate a VMSDEP bill like the one she blocked Tuesday.

“I’ll make up my mind then,” she said.

In floor speeches, several Republicans senators blasted the process as fundamentally undemocratic, suggesting Lucas’s rule over her committee shouldn’t outweigh the majority opinion of the 40-person Senate.

The bill to fully repeal the VMSDEP changes, said Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, has “majority support in the Senate.”

“And yet despite these folks getting up early today and driving here, they didn’t get to have that bill heard,” he said.

Republicans could have attempted to bring the full repeal bill to the floor over Lucas’s objections, a little-used parliamentary move that effectively lets the full body override the wishes of a committee chair. Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, said the GOP chose not to use that “nuclear option” out of deference to Senate tradition. But he took exception to Lucas’ decision not to docket the repeal bill he co-sponsored and said he’s unsure what might happen when the House sends over its version.

“I’m not confident of anything right now to be honest with you,” Reeves said. “Other than we wasted a bunch of taxpayers’ money coming down here with our thumbs up our butt getting nothing done.”

Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, accused Republicans of politicizing the issue and taking a “my way or the highway” approach to the conversation.

“It has become more of a political discussion than a policy discussion,” Locke said.

Surovell told reporters the criticism of how Lucas is wielding her power is overstated, because committee chairs frequently have to decide to docket some bills and not others in the compressed time frame of a special session.

“I don’t know why it should be any different now that there’s a Black woman chairing the committee,” he said.

Friends of VMSDEP, the main advocacy group opposing the recent eligibility changes, blasted Lucas for her actions Tuesday. In a statement, the group said Lucas and other skill game supporters had “hijacked” the day to “try to unleash an unprecedented expansion of gambling across the commonwealth” instead of addressing the needs of veterans.

Advocates for legalizing skill games were also left wondering what the Senate’s decisions Tuesday meant. In a statement, the pro-skill game Virginia Merchants and Amusements Coalition said it hopes lawmakers “will come together on a resolution when they reconvene.”

by Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and X.

Researchers found that some complex toll roads in Northern Virginia are “less understandable” for people who drive high occupancy vehicles and that inconsistent toll signage in Virginia may also cause driver confusion. The findings come after a months-long study into easing vehicle traffic congestion, specifically on popular Interstates 81 and 95, and possible ways to stop rising toll costs.

Cost concerns

According to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which conducts analysis and provides oversight of state agencies on behalf of the General Assembly, 7% of EZ-Pass users from Northern Virginia surveyed said they don’t use the toll routes because of their design and layout.

However, 72% of respondents said they refrained due to costs ranging from $2 to more than $20, depending on the travel length and congestion.

“72% of the people polled said the high cost of the tolls was preventing them from using the toll lanes, and to us, this confirms a major flaw in the private toll lane concept,” said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, which advocates for walking, cycling and using public transportation as sustainable, equitable alternatives to driving.

On June 5, researchers presented their results to state lawmakers. The findings also included a review of the state’s public-private transportation partnerships, which are agreements between the state and private entities to develop and operate toll roads.

NoVa tolls and highway congestion

According to the report, five toll operators manage over 100 miles of road in Northern Virginia alone.

Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, whose district encompasses toll lanes, said on June 5 that the state’s review of contracts with toll operators is key to addressing the costs for drivers. Researchers said the contracts allow operators to determine access and are rated based on several factors including a vehicle’s weight, type and number of axles.

McPike hopes the Department of Transportation will focus on standardizing the contract provisions with toll operators to ensure they’re applied “fairly and equitably across all around the system.”

Research staff also found that some drivers had trouble navigating express lanes because of the “complex nature of facilities and tolling,” such as limited entry and exit ramps and dynamic toll pricing, which can vary based on the traffic conditions to maintain a free-flowing level.

Just 44% of drivers in Northern Virginia understood the requirements to use high occupancy vehicle or HOV lanes, the report revealed.

Researchers said most Northern Virginia drivers correctly identified the toll price when shown a static image of a toll sign, compared to others who were less likely to understand toll price when shown a video approaching a toll sign.

Researchers recommended that the Virginia Department of Transportation require toll operators to use signage consistent with existing signage, especially for state roads.

According to researchers from the Joint Legislative Review and Audit Commission, inconsistent signage about access and rates may create further confusion for larger vehicle drivers. (Courtesy of JLARC)

While researchers found some benefits to the toll operator partnerships, they also found contractual restrictions complicate attempts to alleviate congestion around Northern Virginia’s Occoquan, one of the most congested traffic areas in the Commonwealth.

Adding more lanes on I-95 may not be a cost-effective long-term solution to congestion, according to VDOT, which researchers cited in their report.

McPike said there are other plans to help address congestion in the region, such as expanding rail services, “but the long-lasting growth projections still have failing infrastructure that needs to be addressed by Virginia. It’s gotta start soon, or else we’re going to continue to be decades behind.”

Researchers said a 2012 toll operator contract requires the state to pay penalties if a project in the region diverts traffic away from I-95 and the express lanes, decreasing revenue.

According to the contract, Virginia would be required to pay the toll operator if it adds general lanes on I-95, on the Occoquan Bridge on Route 1 or if it expands Route 1 from Lorton Road in Fairfax County to Garrisonville Road in Stafford.

What the study said about I-81

State officials have considered using a public-private partnership toll system to improve the 325-mile Interstate 81, which runs north to south through the western part of the commonwealth. However, researchers told lawmakers the concept would not be suitable given the “substantial” state contribution required. The measure would have cost up to $13 billion for a car-only tolled lane.

I-81 does not have enough congestion to warrant creating a toll system on the corridor, researchers said, despite its daily use by freight truck drivers and other travelers who use it to connect to dozens of communities, colleges, and businesses. The area’s traveling terrain and the trucks make delays less predictable compared to other interstates in Virginia, and they are likely due to random incidents.

Kim Sandum, an Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley coordinator and transportation lead, said she hoped researchers would have focused more on addressing the safety issues instead of congestion on I-81.

In December 2018, the Commonwealth Transportation Board adopted findings from an I-81 Corridor Improvement Plan, which she said focused on addressing the corridor’s safety issues, which stem from its constrained configuration, and lack of capacity and reliable detour routes.

“That whole process had to do with fixing the safety issues so that you wouldn’t have the six-mile traffic back up when a truck crashes,” Sandum said. “Secondarily [it] addressed congestion, but the focus of the fixes was safety,”

She added “congestion isn’t the issue on 81 like it is on 95. Safety is the issue on 81 that leads to congestion when an incident happens.”

Virginia is expediting plans to widen I-81 in the Salem area. Last month, lawmakers agreed on a budget that appropriates $70 million in fiscal year 2025 for the project and up to $175 million from year-end revenue surpluses for the next three fiscal years.

The commonwealth is also expected to receive $42 million from the federal government for I-81 corridor improvements, but additional funding would be needed to complete them. Staff said increasing the regional fuel tax by one cent per gallon is the most feasible path to raising the money, with a potential annual revenue of $10 million.

Other funding options could include adding a regional surcharge to the state’s highway use fee or considering a user fee and other taxes for electric and fuel-efficient vehicles, including heavy EV vehicles.

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and X.

In a heartwarming initiative to honor the wisdom and experiences of our older veterans, the Royal Examiner’s Mike McCool recently interviewed Franklin Selzer, an 83-year-old veteran, at Hidden Springs Senior Living. This interview is part of an ongoing series aimed at capturing and sharing the rich life stories of our nation’s heroes.

Franklin Selzer, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, shared his journey from a young boy setting pins and caddying to a distinguished military career that spanned over three decades. “I think I’m 83, last time I checked. 1938, what does that make me? I think that’s about right,” Franklin chuckled as he recounted his life.

Franklin’s path to military service was marked by determination and resilience. He recalled his early jobs and stint as a shipping clerk before the Air Force offered him an opportunity. “The Air Force offered me an opportunity, and the Academy was calling. I enlisted first to get a double chance,” he explained. Franklin persevered despite facing challenges, including a dental mishap that nearly derailed his dreams. “This is a wonderful country, and you get those opportunities as long as you stay with it,” he reflected.

In 1956, Franklin enlisted and eventually rose through the ranks to become an airbase commander by 1971. His story is one of triumph and subtle vindication. “I was able to come back and be the commander of that airbase, and I can invite those people to our parties and put them at the head table. Oh, how are you doing this evening? It’s so good to see you,” he shared with a knowing smile.

Franklin’s career also included significant contributions at the Pentagon, where he was instrumental in establishing the United States Transportation Command. “They said, Frank, we’ll do something that never happened before. We’re going to establish the United States Transportation Command,” he recalled. Despite skepticism from some quarters, Franklin and his team succeeded, with his superiors recognizing his efforts.

Reflecting on his military career, Franklin emphasized the importance of discipline and service. “I think our young people today should get into the military. You’ll learn discipline. You’ll learn how to brush your teeth and shine your shoes,” he advised. His words serve as a reminder of the values instilled through military service.

After retiring from the Air Force as a full colonel, Franklin transitioned to a second career with the airlines, continuing to serve the country in a different capacity. He eventually retired at 62 and chose to settle in Front Royal, appreciating the community and the quality of life at Hidden Springs. “This is a beautiful place. If you know your situation, I would tell anyone what you will do with a big house all by yourself?” he pondered.

Franklin’s days are filled with staying in touch with friends worldwide, taking walks, and enjoying simple pleasures. “I write things to people, and sometimes people want to pay me for it, but I don’t need to. I’ve got a nice retirement. And why should I take money for something I don’t need?” he said.

His story, filled with wisdom and a touch of humor, is a testament to the enduring spirit of our veterans. As the interview concluded, Franklin expressed his contentment with life at Hidden Springs. “The people are nice, the food is good, the facility is wonderful. What more could you ask for?”

Franklin Seltzer’s story is a tribute to our veterans’ resilience, service, and wisdom. His experiences remind us of the sacrifices and lessons learned by those who have served our country.

For more stories like Franklin’s, stay tuned as we continue to bring you the voices of our cherished veterans.