Frank Gonzales was born on August 19, 1947, in Edna, Texas. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on June 13, 1967, and after completing basic training and advanced training as an infantryman, he was sent to Southeast Asia in October 1967. Sgt Gonzales served with D Company, 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade in the Republic of Vietnam, from November 1967 until he was killed in action on September 22, 1968. At the time of his death, Frankie Gonzales was married to the former Linda Segura and they had two children, Marie and JoAnn (JoAnn was born after his death).