[2] After the war Franklin returned to the United States, and went to work with the Norton Lilly & Company, a steamship agent based in Norfolk, Virginia, and rose to become the head of its India Department.

[2][3] During World War II Franklin was recalled to active duty in 1942 in the Office of the Quartermaster General of the United States Army with the rank of colonel.

[8] In October 1944 he went to the European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) as its Assistant Chief of Transportation, with a mission to deal with the increasing number of ships that were being retained in the theater as floating warehouses due to lack of port capacity and depots ashore.

[9] In January 1945, Franklin returned to the United States and resumed his former duties as Director of Water Transportation.

He negotiated the repurchase of the ocean liner SS America from the US government, and the acquisition and construction of a fleet of large, modern cargo ships.

[1][2] A funeral service was held at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City,[2][3] and he was buried at the Locust Valley Cemetery on Long Island.