Frank Spencer Sutton - Clarksville, Tenn. - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Frank Sutton was born in Clarksville, Tennessee on October 23, 1923. In high school he was a member of the drama club, performing in several school plays. After Graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the Pacific Theater. During his military service, Frank distinguished himself in combat and was awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. After concluding his military service Frank returned to acting and move to California where he had small roles on several Popular TV Show. His most popular and successful role came when he was cast to play and Marine Drill Instructor named Sergeant Vincent Carter on the popular TV Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. He played the character of Sergeant Carter for the shows entire 5-year run. After “Gomer Pyle” went off the air, Frank continued accepting TV Roles but eventually returned to the stage. On June 28, 1974, Frank was in Shreveport, Louisiana, preparing for his nightly appearance at the Beverly Barn Diner Playhouse. Before going on stage, he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away at the very young age of 50. He was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.

Source/Credit: (visit link)

Description: Frank Spencer Sutton was born in Clarkesville on October 23, 1923. He developed an interest in acting at a very early age appearing in his first role when he was only 9 years old. He attended East Nashville High School where he was a key member of the drama club. During World War ii, Frank volunteered for the Marines but was rejected because he was color blind. But a short time later her enlisted in the army and was accepted, serving in the south pacific where he participated in several major assault landing which earned him a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. After being honorably discharged from the military he returned to the stage while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in drama from Columbia University. Frank relocated to California where he got several small roles appearing in such TV shows as Route 66,” “The Fugitive” “The Twilight Zone, and “Gunsmoke. His most notable role came when he was cast to play a Marine drill instructor in a 1964 episode of the Andy Griffith show. The episode featured a bumbling bumpkin named Gomer Pyle, played by Jim Nabors, who was leaving Mayberry and joining the Marines. This episode was so popular that it turned out to be the pilot for the spin-off comedy named “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Frank was cast for the Permanent role of Sergeant Vince Carter and play the character through the shows entire 5-year run. When Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., went off the air in 1969, Frank and Nabors continued their friendship and Frank became a regular on the Jim Nabors Variety Hour. In addition to appearing on various TV shows, Frank returned to the stage. His most successful role was that of the father in “Norman Is That You? “On June 28, 1974, Frank was appearing in a stage production at the Beverly Barn Diner Playhouse in Shreveport, Louisiana. While preparing for his nightly performance he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away at the age of 50. He is resting in Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee Date of birth: 10/23/1923 Date of death: 06/28/1974 Area of notoriety: Entertainment Marker Type: Horizontal Marker Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - 8 a.m. until Sunset Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log for waymarks in this category, you must have personally visited the waymark location. When logging your visit, please provide a note describing your visit experience, along with any additional information about the waymark or the surrounding area that you think others may find interesting.

We especially encourage you to include any pictures that you took during your visit to the waymark. However, only respectful photographs are allowed. Logs which include photographs representing any form of disrespectful behavior (including those showing personal items placed on or near the grave location) will be subject to deletion.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.