John Franklin Alford (CSM- U.S. Army Ret) Military Funeral services for Mr. John Franklin Alford (CSM- U.S. Army Ret)., 75 of Karnack will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 19, 2010 in the Chapel of Downs Funeral Home with Rev. Judd Strawbridge and Rev. Jerry Jones officiating. Interment will follow at Yates Memorial Gardens in Scottsville with full military honors. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m., Saturday December 18, 2010 at the funeral home. Mr. Alford passed away December 16, 2010 at his residence. John Franklin Alford was born July 27, 1935 in Marshall to Waymon Perry Alford, Sr. and Myra Mae Bishop Alford. On December 28, 1979 he married Gail Dickerson in Arlington, Texas. He was a member of Karnack Baptist Church and a former Sunday school teacher. John enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard at the age of 17. He was mobilized with the 49th armored division in 1961 during the Cuban Crisis. He then transferred to the U.S. Army and was NCOIC for the East Texas Area, Career Counselor, CSM for Recruiting and Retention for the State of Texas. John served a total of 34 honorable years. He received the Meritorious Service Medal, along with numerous other awards throughout his career. Following his retirement in 1985, he farmed, enjoyed fishing, traveling and spending time with his family. Surviving John are his wife of 30 years, Gail Alford of Karnack; one son, Billy Alford and wife Chrystal of Karnack; three daughters, Donna Vest and husband Harry of Kilgore, Debbie Chavez of Kilgore and Hope Raeon Dickerson of Karnack; one brother, Donald Ray Alford, Sr. of Longview; eleven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren; mother-in-law and father-in -law, Henry and Lovina Dickerson of Karnack; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Kenneth and Amy Dickerson of Ft. Worth, William Dickerson of Karnack and Terry and Sandy Dickerson of Tulsa, OK and several nieces and nephews.. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Kenneth Wayne Alford and James Franklin Alford SSG- U.S. Army; brother, Waymon Perry Alford, Jr. (Chief Petty Officer- U.S. Navy Ret.) and sister, Frances Jean Alford. Serving as pallbearers will be the U.S. Army of Fort Hood, Texas. Honorary pallbearers will be the 1961 49th Armored Division Mobilization members, MSG Larry Carns, MAJ Ron Hudson, SFC Miguel Fabbiani, Dr. Valeria Allman, Dr. William Simpson, Dr. Terry Gerber, staff of GSMC-Marshall ICU/IMC/Radiology Departments and members of Karnack Baptist Church. The family requests memorials be made to the www.woundedworriorproject.org, 7020 AC Skinner Pkwy, Suite 100, Jacksonville,FL 32256. 904-296-7350/ fax-904296-7347 Online condolences may be made to the family at www.downsfuneralhome.com