Very sad day: Capt. Zeb Alford passes away - Page 23

mcf1 · 08-21-09, 03:42 AM

May he rest in peace

08-21-09, 02:19 PM

Alford was one of a kind, a real American hero.

Admiral Von Gerlach · 08-22-09, 09:19 AM

The memorial service is coming up as i recall, I send my best wishes to you all ...daughters, family and friends and associates... hope all are doing well today, and everyday, and God Bless.

patti · 08-23-09, 09:53 AM

Well, here goes. The memorial service for my Dad in Houston was wonderful. His coffin was flag draped finally,thank goodness ,as that is a big military honor and he certainly deserved it.

So many great things were said about my Dad and I learned so much about his life in Houston with the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Cavalla( I knew about that) and so many other things that he did and people whose life he touched.

There were 3 flags presented. One was flown over the US Capital, one over the State of Texas Capital, and one from the USS Texas and that was presented by the Sailor of the Year. I sure hope I can get one of those flags for the memory of my Dad.

At the reception afterward there were more people that talked about Dad and then we all left and my sisters and I went to the hospital that Dad was in to leave a gift cert. for the nurses that kept us so well informed.

I need to tell a funny story now. We all decided we needed a margarita so we went to Chuy's on Westheimer and they were having a soft opening for friends and family ( well we went on in anyway) and all the drinks were $3.00 so my daughter Samantha ordered a great margarita for all of us in honor of Dad and maybe they will even name the drink after Dad "the Skipper" so if you are ever there ask for Kirsten ( I think that was her name- and ask her is she remembers the crazy group from the grand opening that had a splash of orange juice in the margarita) and see if they did name the drink after Dad.

I really want to thank everyone one of you that has posted on this site from day one, you all have been a life saver to me and to my sisters. All of us to go this site daily to read the comforting words about my Dad.
His final service will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 30, 2009 at 9:00 am.

:salute :

Patti

Onkel Neal · 08-23-09, 11:59 AM

I attended Capt. Zeb's Celebration Service with Mark (Mookie). It was a beautiful, moving ceremony. In attendance were his wife Joan, her family, Zeb's four daughters Patti, Peggy, Jane, and Katie and their families, and a large number of friends. There were three eulogies given.

His daughter Peggy Alford gave four wonderful, personal memorials by her three sisters and herself.

Rear Admiral Albert Kelln, USN (ret) gave a eulogy that highlighted Zeb's remarkable career in the US Navy, his zeal and devotion to country and his shipmates.

Barry Battlestein, a close friend of Zeb's, shared some memories.

State Representative Debbie Riddle shared some thoughtful words and presented one of the flags.

Afterward, Mark and I met and spoke with many wonderful people who attended the service, including Bruce, Joe Shook (SubVet and CHF Board member), Gil Raynor (orginal CHF Secretary), Ms. Riddle, Captain Jim Gray (USS Texas skipper), Mr. Carter Conlin of the Navy League, and many others.

mookiemookie · 08-23-09, 12:02 PM

It was a truly beautiful service befitting a true American hero. I was honored to have attended.

kiwi_2005 · 08-23-09, 01:41 PM

Rest in peace and fair winds.

Jimbuna · 08-23-09, 01:55 PM

I am pleased to hear the ceremony went as well as his family would/could have wished.

Admiral Von Gerlach · 08-23-09, 04:03 PM

Patti, Peggy, Jane, and Katie, I am so glad the memorial went well and was such a special time for you all and for the memory of your dad. Neal and Mark I am very glad you were there to be there and to also represent all of us who care a lot and appreciate so much Capt Alford's dedication to so much. It is hard when someone special passes on but the comfort is that their spirit and the love that they shared remains with those who were part of both, and it has been both an homour and a deep gift for all the sharing here and for us to be able to honour a special man who serves us all .... God Bless you all and I will mark November 30th on my calender for special prayers and rememberance. I will ask a family member who is the keeper of a special emblem of honour to mark that day too, in Navy style, i will write you girls about this, and in the meantime, God Bless all the famliy and friends of the Captain and thank you Neal for giving us this chance to honour the Skpper's service, life and family here.

Salute

peggy · 08-23-09, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I attended Capt. Zeb's Celebration Service with Mark (Mookie). It was a beautiful, moving ceremony. In attendance were his wife Joan, her family, Zeb's four dauthers Patti, Peggy, Jane, and Katie and their families, and a large number of friends. There were three eulogies given.

His daughter Peggy Alford gave four wonderful, personal memorials by her three sisters and herself.

Rear Admiral Albert Kelln, USN (ret) gave a eulogy that highlighted Zeb's remarkable career in the US Navy, his zeal and devotion to country and his shipmates.

Barry Battlestein, a close friend of Zeb's, shared some memories.

State Representative Debbie Riddle shared some thoughtful words and presented one of the flags.

Afterward, Mark and I met and spoke with many wonderful people who attended the service, including Bruce, Joe Shook (SubVet and CHF Board member), Gil Raynor (orginal CHF Secretary), Ms. Riddle, Captain Jim Gray (USS Texas skipper), Mr. Carter Conlin of the Navy League, and many others.

Dear Neal,

What a pleasure it was to meet you this weekend. My sister Katie and I thank you for arranging a ride for us from the airport. Her husband, son, and I really appreciated your heartfelt generosity...it was above and beyond, I assure you. Tam, the driver, was a lovely man...he was right there as we came out of the baggage area. The car was luxurious and he was a safe driver and got us to our hotel swiftly. I had no idea you and your daughters were coming in from a 16 hour drive from Kansas. It was our joy to have you join us for lunch...we enjoyed getting to know you and your daughters, and really appreciated your making the time to join our family, when a good nap would have felt great I'm sure. I really liked hearing the story of how you got this web site started, and it has been a blessing for us girls in these days since our father died. I imagine you would not have known how much it would help 4 daughters in 2009, when you started it.

We appreciate your being at the service for Dad, and thank you for your comments about it. We all thought it was a perfect way to say our goodbyes to Dad. We were heartened to see all the fine people who were able to be there.

Thank you for bringing us back to the airport the day after Dad's service. You made our trip there seamless and what a pleasure it was not having to deal with logistics of transportation. I'm glad you and my father knew each other. I have a hunch he thoroughly enjoyed his times with you.

My family thanks you very much for your kindness toward us. My Dad would have been grateful.

God bless you,

Peggy

peggy · 08-23-09, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Admiral Von Gerlach

Patti, Peggy, Jane, and Katie, I am so glad the memorial went well and was such a special time for you all and for the memory of your dad. Neal and Mark I am very glad you were there to be there and to also represent all of us who care a lot and appreciate so much Capt Alford's dedication to so much. It is hard when someone special passes on but the comfort is that their spirit and the love that they shared remains with those who were part of both, and it has been both an homour and a deep gift for all the sharing here and for us to be able to honour a special man who serves us all .... God Bless you all and I will mark November 30th on my calender for special prayers and rememberance. I will ask a family member who is the keeper of a special emblem of honour to mark that day too, in Navy style, i will write you girls about this, and in the meantime, God Bless all the famliy and friends of the Captain and thank you Neal for giving us this chance to honour the Skpper's service, life and family here.

Salute

Dear Admiral,

I appreciate the kindess that comes through your words. I regret I was not able to meet you...I hope you are feeling better and getting through surgery well. I remember you said something about that. The service was very special to us, and such a blessing to have many wonderful people there who paid tribute to my Dad. It was a memorable celebration of his life.

Take good care,

Peggy

peggy · 08-23-09, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

It was a truly beautiful service befitting a true American hero. I was honored to have attended.

MookieMookie,

Thank you very much for paying tribute to my Dad...we daughters really appreciate your being at his service. And your words were nice to hear.

Peggy

Distortion · 08-24-09, 10:54 AM

when your hero falls from grace
all fairy tales r uncovered
myths exposed and pain magnified
the greatest pain discovered
u taught me 2 be strong
but im confused 2 c u so weak
u said never 2 give up
and it hurts 2 c u welcome defeat
when ure hero falls so do the stars
and so does the perception of tomorrow
without my hero there is only
me alone 2 deal with my sorrow
your heart ceases 2 work
and your soul is not happy at all
what r u expected 2 do
when ure only hero falls

Rest in peace,

Robert

Baby Katie · 08-24-09, 08:45 PM

Well I can not say enough about all these men and people who supported us while we were in Houston at Dad's Funeral - I was given the honor of giving Dad his Last Farewell Salute since I was his Military daughter and it meant so much to me. I loved seeing the Sailor in his sailor outfit who spoke and was the first recipient of Dad's schlorship he started for something to do with sailors. I don't remember getting any schlorships and we were his 4 sailors all his life. How funny

Thank-you again - esp Neal for all you did for Peggy and me - You know what I'm talking about

Love to all
Baby Katie

Onkel Neal · 08-28-09, 06:39 PM

hi Katie,

thanks for the kind words and the coffee card, that was sweet of you guys.

I found some more pics of Zeb I wanted to share with you. These were taken at the Captain's Banquet during the Texas commissioning ceremonies.

Capt. Zeb Alford, Joan Alford, and friend

Me, and Zeb, and two other fellows whose names escape me at the moment....

Zeb during the entertainment portion of the event. He was playing the role of Admiral Nimitz in a musical.

08-22-09, 09:19 AM	#333
Admiral Von Gerlach Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Colorado and California Posts: 726 Downloads: 358 Uploads: 0	The memorial service is coming up as i recall, I send my best wishes to you all ...daughters, family and friends and associates... hope all are doing well today, and everyday, and God Bless. __________________ Erlaubnis an Bord zu kommen.

08-23-09, 09:53 AM	#334
patti VIP Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: El Paso Posts: 28 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Patti Well, here goes. The memorial service for my Dad in Houston was wonderful. His coffin was flag draped finally,thank goodness ,as that is a big military honor and he certainly deserved it. So many great things were said about my Dad and I learned so much about his life in Houston with the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Cavalla( I knew about that) and so many other things that he did and people whose life he touched. There were 3 flags presented. One was flown over the US Capital, one over the State of Texas Capital, and one from the USS Texas and that was presented by the Sailor of the Year. I sure hope I can get one of those flags for the memory of my Dad. At the reception afterward there were more people that talked about Dad and then we all left and my sisters and I went to the hospital that Dad was in to leave a gift cert. for the nurses that kept us so well informed. I need to tell a funny story now. We all decided we needed a margarita so we went to Chuy's on Westheimer and they were having a soft opening for friends and family ( well we went on in anyway) and all the drinks were $3.00 so my daughter Samantha ordered a great margarita for all of us in honor of Dad and maybe they will even name the drink after Dad "the Skipper" so if you are ever there ask for Kirsten ( I think that was her name- and ask her is she remembers the crazy group from the grand opening that had a splash of orange juice in the margarita) and see if they did name the drink after Dad. I really want to thank everyone one of you that has posted on this site from day one, you all have been a life saver to me and to my sisters. All of us to go this site daily to read the comforting words about my Dad. His final service will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 30, 2009 at 9:00 am.:salute : Patti

08-23-09, 11:59 AM	#335
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,284 Downloads: 534 Uploads: 224	I attended Capt. Zeb's Celebration Service with Mark (Mookie). It was a beautiful, moving ceremony. In attendance were his wife Joan, her family, Zeb's four daughters Patti, Peggy, Jane, and Katie and their families, and a large number of friends. There were three eulogies given. His daughter Peggy Alford gave four wonderful, personal memorials by her three sisters and herself. Rear Admiral Albert Kelln, USN (ret) gave a eulogy that highlighted Zeb's remarkable career in the US Navy, his zeal and devotion to country and his shipmates. Barry Battlestein, a close friend of Zeb's, shared some memories. State Representative Debbie Riddle shared some thoughtful words and presented one of the flags. Afterward, Mark and I met and spoke with many wonderful people who attended the service, including Bruce, Joe Shook (SubVet and CHF Board member), Gil Raynor (orginal CHF Secretary), Ms. Riddle, Captain Jim Gray (USS Texas skipper), Mr. Carter Conlin of the Navy League, and many others. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web Last edited by Onkel Neal; 08-24-09 at 12:35 AM. Reason: fixed a typo

08-23-09, 12:02 PM	#336
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	It was a truly beautiful service befitting a true American hero. I was honored to have attended. __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

08-23-09, 01:41 PM	#337
kiwi_2005 Eternal Patrol Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aeoteroa Posts: 7,382 Downloads: 223 Uploads: 1	Rest in peace and fair winds. __________________ RIP kiwi_2005 Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

08-21-09, 03:42 AM	#331
mcf1 Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Greece, Volos Posts: 710 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	May he rest in peace

08-21-09, 02:19 PM	#332
S. N. Brown, PhD Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Alford was one of a kind, a real American hero.

08-23-09, 01:55 PM	#338
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 181,146 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	I am pleased to hear the ceremony went as well as his family would/could have wished. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!! GWX3.0 Download Page - Donation/instant access to GWX (Help SubSim)

08-23-09, 04:03 PM	#339
Admiral Von Gerlach Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Colorado and California Posts: 726 Downloads: 358 Uploads: 0	Patti, Peggy, Jane, and Katie, I am so glad the memorial went well and was such a special time for you all and for the memory of your dad. Neal and Mark I am very glad you were there to be there and to also represent all of us who care a lot and appreciate so much Capt Alford's dedication to so much. It is hard when someone special passes on but the comfort is that their spirit and the love that they shared remains with those who were part of both, and it has been both an homour and a deep gift for all the sharing here and for us to be able to honour a special man who serves us all .... God Bless you all and I will mark November 30th on my calender for special prayers and rememberance. I will ask a family member who is the keeper of a special emblem of honour to mark that day too, in Navy style, i will write you girls about this, and in the meantime, God Bless all the famliy and friends of the Captain and thank you Neal for giving us this chance to honour the Skpper's service, life and family here. Salute __________________ Erlaubnis an Bord zu kommen.

08-24-09, 10:54 AM	#343
Distortion A-ganger Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 77 Downloads: 194 Uploads: 0	when your hero falls from grace all fairy tales r uncovered myths exposed and pain magnified the greatest pain discovered u taught me 2 be strong but im confused 2 c u so weak u said never 2 give up and it hurts 2 c u welcome defeat when ure hero falls so do the stars and so does the perception of tomorrow without my hero there is only me alone 2 deal with my sorrow your heart ceases 2 work and your soul is not happy at all what r u expected 2 do when ure only hero falls Rest in peace, Robert

08-24-09, 08:45 PM	#344
Baby Katie VIP Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 12 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Neal Stevens, Mookie-Mookie, Adm Von Gerlach Well I can not say enough about all these men and people who supported us while we were in Houston at Dad's Funeral - I was given the honor of giving Dad his Last Farewell Salute since I was his Military daughter and it meant so much to me. I loved seeing the Sailor in his sailor outfit who spoke and was the first recipient of Dad's schlorship he started for something to do with sailors. I don't remember getting any schlorships and we were his 4 sailors all his life. How funny Thank-you again - esp Neal for all you did for Peggy and me - You know what I'm talking about Love to all Baby Katie

08-28-09, 06:39 PM	#345
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,284 Downloads: 534 Uploads: 224	hi Katie, thanks for the kind words and the coffee card, that was sweet of you guys. I found some more pics of Zeb I wanted to share with you. These were taken at the Captain's Banquet during the Texas commissioning ceremonies. Capt. Zeb Alford, Joan Alford, and friend Me, and Zeb, and two other fellows whose names escape me at the moment.... Zeb during the entertainment portion of the event. He was playing the role of Admiral Nimitz in a musical.