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MAJ Mark E Cooper
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Alford, James F. (Jamie), SSG.
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SSG James "Jamie" Franklin Alford, 30, of Karnack passed away on Dec. 1, 2008, in Marshall. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5, 2008, in the Chapel of Downs Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Edwards, Rev. Jerry Jones and Rev. Judd Strawbridge officiating. Interment will follow in Yates Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008, at Downs Funeral Home. James "Jamie" Franklin Alford was born on Nov. 2, 1978, in Paris, to John and Gail Alford. He attended Karnack ISD and lettered in football and track. Jamie was a member of Karnack Baptist Church. He enjoyed being
outside, riding his horse Apachie, running, being on the lake or just walking in the woods. SSG James Alford entered the U.S. Army on Oct. 7, 1996, upon completion of Basic, Infantry & Airborne Training at Ft. Benning, Ga., he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C., where he completed Special Forces training and received his Green Beret then transferred to 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Campbell, Ky. He was deployed to numerous foreign countries including Oman, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, for Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan and received the Meritorious Service Medal for his peace-time service along with the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and War On Terrorism Service Medal. He is survived by his parents, John and Gail Alford of Karnack; one brother, Billy Alford of Karnack; two sisters, Donna Vest of West Virginia and Debbie Alford of Henderson; grandparents, Henry and Lovina Dickerson of Sumner; uncles and aunts, Don Alford of Longview, Kenneth and Amy Dickerson of Ft. Worth, W.T. Dickerson of San Marcos, and Terry and Sandy Dickerson of Paris; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, great aunts and uncles and friends. Special friends include SFC Miguel Fabbiani, Justin Hawkins, Ben Mathis, "Mama" Cheryl Neel, and all his fellow military comrades. He is also survived by his loving and dedicated nurses Ernestine Stout, Karen Rushing, Cecilia Harris and Edith Montague and his faithful, loyal and loving companion of twenty years, his horse, Apachie. He is preceded in death by paternal grandparents Waymon and Myra Alford; great-grandparents, Glen and Eva Ables; great-grandmother, Hope Topping; and a very special little girl, Cheyanne Ansley. Full Military Honors will be performed by 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. (MAJ) Eric Halsey, Annabell Schumaker, LTC Chris Haas, Dr. Valerie Allman, Dr. William Simpson, Dr. Mark Belknap, Good Shepard Medical Center IMC, ICU and ER Staff, Wilford Hall Medical Center Ward 9-D staff and the Omega Home Health Staff. Email condolences may be sent to the family at keithadowns@aol.com. Downs Funeral Home
Other Comments:
Staff Sgt. James “Jamie” Alford
U.S. Army Green Beret
2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group
A Soldier In Suffering, A Soldier In Death
SSG James "Jamie" Alford, 30, of Karnack, TX passed away on Dec. 1, 2008, in Marshall, TX. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5, 2008, in the Chapel of Downs Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Edwards, Rev. Jerry Jones and Rev. Judd Strawbridge officiating. Interment will follow in Yates Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008, at Downs Funeral Home.
Rare Brain Illness Revealed ~
He was deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, France and England. He was in the forefront of initial infiltration in the war on Iraq in the Kuwaiti desert with concentrations at Kuwait & Tikrit (Saddam Hussein’s hometown).
While serving in the Middle East, Alford (25) contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an extremely rare and fatal degenerative brain disorder akin to Mad Cow disease.
Awarded two Army Commendation medals, five Army Achievement medals, an Army Good Conduct Medal, numerous division ribbons and the Bronze Star in Afghanistan for “gallant conduct” in leading reconnaissance patrols in Kandahar and helping capture suspected Iranian terrorists.
War Hero SSG James ‘Jamie’ Alford with CJD was the first American receiving experimental treatment for Mad Cow to help others find a cure, there is no cure or treatment for the disease.
