- Agent George H. Franklin at shooting range in 1930s/ photo from Wack’s website
By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
Sure, there’s been endless stories about the many gangster of the 1930s like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Bonnie and Clyde.
But what about the FBI agents who battled the criminals of that era, says Larry Wack, who worked as a special agent from 1968 until 2003 and who lives in New York state.
“So much has been written about the Dillingers of the era, I wanted to ensure the memories and more of the Agents who pursued these outlaws,” Wack said.
Wack has launched a website “Faded Glory: Dusty Roads of an FBI Era” to find relatives of the agents of that era to share stories and photos of their loved ones.
“I’ve been searching for relatives of these men for over a year, finding only a handful so far in an effort to have relatives contribute their memories to the site,” he said.
In a press release posted on his website, Wack says: “We heard from the son of G-Man, SA (Special Agent) William “Buck” Buchanan, who actually helped in solving a long time question in FBI history (regarding gangster, Alvin Karpis) because his father was directly involved in the answer.”
“Another son of ‘30s G-Man, SA George H. Franklin has provided some fascinating information on his father’s early association with Southwest lawman and even the legendary Elfego Baca in addition to his father’s role in many of the high profile cases of the times. The son of one of the FBI men present at the tragic shootout of “Little Bohemia” provided some insights to his mother’s fears of becoming a widow. Others have responded paying tribute to forgotten heroes.”
As far he knows, there’s one agent left from that era — Walter Walsh — who is 103.
“I hope to speak to him sometime soon about his recollection of certain pepole back then and see what photographs he has that are relevant to the era,” Wack said.
Wack said people can reach him by email at rypublish@roadrunner.com.
