Visitation will be Wednesday from 12 – 1:45 p.m. at McConnell Funeral Home.
He was born December 17, 1933 in Athens, AL to Alton Leon Allfrey and Mildred Coggins Allfrey.
Preceded in death by his parents; wife of 50 years Marion Gonnella Allfrey, one son Darryl Allen Allfrey; one daughter Dawn Corene Allfrey; and sister Shirley Allfrey Smith.
He is survived by his brothers Dwaine Allfrey and wife Barbara; George Marshall Allfrey; sister June Allfrey Booth and husband Archie; special niece Paige Brookshier Stermer and best friend Pete Stromquist, nieces and nephews, and great nieces and great nephews.
Pallbearers will be nephews Tom Smith, Stan Smith, Cass Smith, Todd Booth, Dane Allfrey, Richard Booth, and Martin Evans.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Pete Stromquist, Fred Martin, and Tommy Woodroof.
Special thanks to his loving caretakers at Athens Rehab and Senior Care Center.
In Lieu of flowers memorials to be made to Alabama Veteran Museum.
William Dyral Allfrey retired from the Air Force after 26 years of active duty. Decorations, award as follows:
Distinguished Flying Cross w2 Oak Leaf Clusters (3 AWARDS), Meritorious Service Medal, AF Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 14 Oak Leaf Cluster (Combat Awards), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam), Combat Readiness Medal, AF Longevity Service Award.
Bill’s Military Life / Assignment Record
Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in March 1955, while stationed at Pope Field, N.C., where he was in navigator on troop transport planes, he met Marion Gonnella from Westchester, N.Y. Following their marriage in New York in 1955,
Allfrey was sent to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. He witnessed detonation of numerous atomic bombs he became ill from radiation exposure.
Returning from the South Pacific as a navigator selected for pilot school at Bartow, Fla.
Afterward, he spent a year at Luke Air Base, learning to fly F-100 Super Sabre jets.
Next he transitioned to Myrtle Beach and was assigned to the 352th Tac Fighter Squadron where most of our targets were not far from Havana Harbor, “Kennedy”, and soviet missiles in Cuba.
Aviano Airbase, Italy, for the Cold War, and alert duty as F-100 flight Commander, with aircraft armed with 1.1 megaton bombs, ready for take –off with special target assignments for each aircraft.
In 1965, Allfrey is selected for the exchange pilot program and spent two years with the Royal Air Force and lived in England for two years.
In November 1967, he was assigned to the 416th Tactical Fighters stationed in Phu Cat, near the coast in North Central South Vietnam. During this Combat assignment he distinguishes himself by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, operations.
The 1968 TET offensive and over 300 combat missions, returning from Vietnam in time for Christmas.
1970-01973 returned to Wethersfield Air Base, just north of London, where he was assigned to nuclear duty he also was on alert in Turkey.
In 1973, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assigned to the Pentagon as deputy chief of Fighter Branch charged with procurement. We bought all the modern-day fighters, A-10, F15, and F-16 now in use.
1976- 1979 was assigned to the Southern Europe, NATO Headquarters in the Air Force Southern Region Command Center.
In late 1979, now reassigned to Maxwell Field where it all started 26 years earlier.
Following retirement in 1980, Marion and I made 709 Norton Drive, Athens, AL, our permanent address.
1980-1995 worked for Teledyne Brown Engineering, assisting in the development of the Reagan “Star Wars” programs.
1995-2000 worked at Mevatec in Huntsville, reviewing and writing procurement contracts and special programs documentation.
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