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BY ZEKE CAMPFIELD
STAFF WRITER
ZCAMPFIELD@LAWTON-CONSTITUTION.COM
Publication:The Lawton Constitution
Date:Dec 16, 2007
Gen. Franks Opens Museum
HOBART — One photo of Tommy Franks on an old motorcycle, King Abdullah II of Jordan in the sidecar, says everything about the retired general’s plans for his new museum and institute here.
The picture of the two friends tells the story of diplomacy and, most importantly it seems to Franks, it demonstrates how the creation — and resolution — of society’s conflicts begins with the individual.
Nonpartisan politics, positive diplomacy and careful analysis of history appeared to be theme Saturday morning when the public had its first glimpse of the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum in downtown Hobart.
Franks told a crowd of people who gathered for the museum’s “soft opening” that Americans should learn from history, and not be too quick to judge, when deciding how to approach foreign policy.
“I believe for our country to be successful, one of the first things we have to do is recognize the difference between our friends and our enemies,” Franks said as he detailed the stories behind many of the artifacts and photos set up behind the three glass storefront displays.
One display depicts his friendship with Abdullah II and the U.S. alliance with Jordan; one includes various relics from Franks’ life, including a baby book and his uniform from his days as commander and chief of U.S. Central Command; and the third includes items from recent history, including gifts from former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and mementos from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Franks said his goal for the museum — expected to be complete by next summer — is not to make a case for or against the war or any specific policies, but rather to give people a chance to see firsthand some interesting mementos from recent American history.
“I don’t care what your politics are, (the war in Iraq) is what it is, and we’re in it,” Franks said. “I think it’s entirely fitting that we should have such things here. I wanted to share with you a few of these because this is what we’re going to be setting back inside this museum.”
Franks detailed the back story behind most of the items on display, telling stories of major heads of states he collaborated with and soldiers he led.
On the Taliban flag taken from Afghanistan during the invasion in 2001: “This is from when we took the Taliban out of existence.”
About the motorcycle on which he and King Abdullah II sat in 2001, a refurbished 1938 BMW with sidecar: “King Abdullah has been a friend of mine since long before he became king of Jordan.”
And on gifts from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf: “He is a man who, despite how the media treats him, worked very hard to help us.”
Some of the other more interesting items on display included a steel beam recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center after Sept. 11 and the general’s first rifle, a .22 caliber Remington Model 11 Rem Special.
Franks also detailed some of the programs scheduled for the 45,000-square-foot Leadership Institute, planned to be completed by the summer of 2009.
The first thing on the agenda, he said, will be debate contests for high school and college students.
“We’ll have a competition all over the country,” Franks said. “It will be in a format where you can actually talk about issues without calling people names. It’s a lesson America can stand to learn, and that’s what the Leadership Institute part of this is for.”
He also said he is working with several educational institutes, namely Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, and nonprofit public policy research institutes like the National Center for Policy Analysis to bring “scholars-in-residence” to the institute for policy research and discussion.
“We’ll expose them to my papers and let them see the correct version of history post-9/11 for the country,” he said.
Franks said he chose to construct the museum and institute in Hobart because of the people that make up the community. Franks’ wife, Cathy, is originally from the area, and they live on a ranch outside Roosevelt in Kiowa County.
“People ask Cathy and me all the time, ‘How come you’re trying to push a bowling ball uphill and defy gravity by putting a museum and leadership institute in Hobart?’” he said. “And I say, ‘If you people from New York City and Los Angeles could meet the people in Hobart, Oklahoma, you wouldn’t have to ask why.’ This is a community of real people. This is the place where people talk slowly and think fast, and that’s exactly opposite of how they do it in New York City and Los Angeles.”
While Franks signed copies
of his autobiography, “American Soldier,” he told reporters he expects to spend about 75 percent of his time over the next few years in Hobart and will spend the coming holidays at his ranch with his sonin-law, who will be returning from Iraq after a 14-month deployment.
 MICHAEL D. POPE/STAFF One of the three window displays unveiled at Saturday’s “soft opening” of the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum included multiple mementos from his experiences in Jordan in 2001, including this photograph of Franks and Jordan’s king, Abdullah II, testing out a 1938 BMW motorcycle given to the general by Abdullah as a gift.
 MICHAEL D. POPE/STAFF Retired Gen. Tommy Franks signs a copy of his autobiography, “American Soldier,” for Hobart artist Mary Ann Allen during the “soft opening” of his museum Saturday.
MICHAEL D. POPE/STAFF One of the three window displays unveiled at Saturday’s “soft opening” of the Gen.Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum showcased historical artifacts collected by Franks during his tenure as commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command, including gifts from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and mementos from the invasions into Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003, which Franks commanded.
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