Frank A. Athanason was born on August 1, 1926, in Augusta, Georgia, and enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 23, 1945. He completed basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida, and was selected for Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, graduating as a 2nd Lieutenant in Field Artillery on December 7, 1945.

At just 19, he was sent to Germany for occupation duty commanding 200 African American troops in Erlangen near Nuremberg on the way over. He later served in Marburg, helping process troops returning home, and witnessed two days of the Nuremberg Trials. Frank returned to the U.S. on November 11, 1946, and was officially separated from the Army shortly after.

He rejoined the military in 1947, later serving in Korea, Vietnam, and Europe over a distinguished 32-year career. He was awarded the Silver Star in 1951 and retired from the Army in 1978 as a Colonel.