Warriors Watch Riders, Patriot Guard Riders and Patriot Sentinel Riders, along with members of the Livermore VFW, Pleasanton Military Families and OPSAM honor US Army Captain Alf N. Larsen, 87 years old, 96th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group, WWII, at his funeral service at Callaghan Mortuary / Memory Gardens Cometary Livermore CA
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beloved father, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather, pass- ed away at home on June 24, 2009 at the age of 87. Alf was born in Ogden, Utah on December 4, 1921, son of Alf and Vera Larsen. Alf's early passion in life was flying and he took his first solo flight at age 18 in a J2 Cub at Mines Field in Los Angeles. After graduating from Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, he joined the Army Air Corps in October 1942. During WWII, Alf served with the 96th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy, flying an amazing 50 missions in his Lockheed P-38 Lightning. After successfully completing active duty with the rank of Captain, Alf remained in the Air Force reserves until October 1966, retiring with the rank of Major. His love of flying continued to drive his professional career as he joined Southwest Airways as a first officer in April 1952 and was checked out as a Captain in December 1958. When he retired, 29 years later from Republic Airlines, (formerly Hughes Airwest), he had logged over 22,000 hours of flight time always getting his many passengers to their destinations safely. Previously of Hayward, CA, Alf was a resident of Livermore, CA for 24 years. He was an avid golfer, tennis player and bicyclist and enjoyed traveling with his wife and friends. He will be remembered for his constant and consistent service to others, always willing to help and generous to all. He was a man of integrity and honor with a quiet courage to always do right by others.
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We thank you Captain Larsen for your service to our great nation. You are and will forever be a True American Hero. You will never be forgotten by those who enjoy freedom, prosperity and safety here in The United States of America.
We sweat out our track through the fighters and flak; We're willing to split up the glory. Well, they wouldn't reject us, So heaven protect us, And until all this shooting abates, Give us courage to fight 'em And one other small item: An escort of P-38s. An excerpt from a poem composed by Tech./Sgt. H Bryson, a B-17 gunner in north Africa, and was first published in 1943, in the "Stars and Stripes."
