Texas Military Forces
Hall of Honor
Mickey
Francis
 Brigadier
General (Brevet) Mickey Francis enlisted as a private in Co A, 111th
Quartermaster Company on July 25, 1936, at the age of 16. He was
mobilized into federal service with the 36th Infantry Division on
November 25, 1940. He received his commission as a second lieutenant on
January 18, 1943, and was deployed to the Southwest Pacific Theater in
June of that year.
General Francis served in combat in the Philippine Islands as the
company commander of the 3746th Quartermaster Truck Company. He returned
to the United States in December, 1945, and separated from active duty
as a Major on April 14, 1946.
General Francis entered into full time service with the Texas National
Guard in January, 1947, in the grade of Master Sergeant, as the
Battalion Staff Assistant of the 111th Medical Battalion, 36th Infantry
Division. He was commissioned a Captain in October, 1948. He was later
assigned to the position of senior staff assistant and chief of staff of
the 36th Infantry Division. Upon Deactivation of the 36th Inf Div on
February 1, 1968, General Francis was reassigned as the executive
officer of the newly created Arrowhead Emergency Operations Headquarters
in Odessa, Texas. A year later, he returned to Austin as the staff
administrative assistant and executive officer of Base Units Command,
TXARNG, where he served until his retirement on November 10, 1979
General Francis was a life member of the National Guard Association of
Texas and served on the Board of Directors for six years, holding the
office of president from 1966-1967. During his tenure as president of
NGAT, Mickey was responsible for drafting and presenting legislation
which resulted in the passage of a bill which provides disability
compensation for guard members permanently disabled while performing
state military duty, and compensation for wives and/or children of guard
members killed while engaged in state emergency duty.
Through his initiative and dedicated efforts, General Francis was
responsible for the NGAT sponsorship of a life insurance program that
has paid millions of dollars in claims to the beneficiaries of Army and
Air Guard members. General Francis was the driving force which created
the insurance program and his efforts were tireless in developing plans
and negotiating a contract that would provide maximum coverage for guard
members and their families at a minimum cost.
General Francis proposed and initiated the NGAT scholarship program to
provide educational assistance for guard members and/or children of
guard members. Mickey spent countless hours in visiting high school
principals and college administrators in developing guidelines and
selection criteria for a sound and effective scholarship program. He was
instrumental in establishing the NGAT educational foundation and served
as its first chairman of the Board of trustees. To date, more than 300
scholarships have been awarded to guard members and/or their children.
Present and future members of the Texas National Guard owe a debt of
gratitude to BG (Brevet) Mickey Francis for the many benefits secured
for them by his foresight and dedicated efforts on their behalf.
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