Retired Master Sgt. Claude R. Blalock passed away June 4, 2008, at the Carolina Inn at Village Green in Fayetteville. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy. He is survived by his three sons: Paul A. Blalock, wife Lena and two daughters, Paulena Blalock and Sarah Ostmeyer, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Frank R. Blalock, wife Linda and two sons, Randy Blalock and Gary Blalock, all of Fayetteville; and Jeffrey C. Blalock and wife Shirley of South Boston, Va. He is also survived by a sister, Betty Swartwood of Carson City, Nev. Mr. Blalock was an Army veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He entered the Army on Aug. 15, 1940. He served in World War II and jumped with the 82nd Airborne Division during the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, in the first wave. He met his war bride in Nottingham, England, on a blind date in March 1944. They were married Sept. 5, 1945. He brought her to the United States in 1947, where they had a family and were married for 62 years. He received his orders June 1950 to go to Korea, where he served in the Korean War. As a Special Forces Green Beret, he served a total of four years in Vietnam, beginning in March 1964. Blalock has been a paratrooper, a rifleman in a squad, a bazooka man in the same squad, a rifle-grenade launcher, an anti-tank 90 mm gunner, and a 75mm gun loader with 4.2 chemical mortars and 120 mm mortars. He served as an artilleryman with a 105 Howitzer, with a 155 Howitzer, and with an Honest John Battery - "Big John" rocket launcher, as a 105th ammo sergeant, as a cook, and as a mess sergeant. With the 5th Special Forces Group, he was with the A Company, A Team and B Team; and at the 54th Supply, he delivered supplies. He retired in April 1972 after 31 years and nine months of service. Mr. Blalock was the recipient of many medals, including four Bronze Stars, one Bronze with three Clusters, three Army Commendations, Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) with two stars, four Purple Hearts, one Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters, multiple campaign ribbons, a Presidential Unit Citation - D Day, June 6, 1944, Master Parachutist Jump Wings with two Bronze Stars on Wings, the French Croix de Guerre Medal, the French Fourragere of the Croix de Guerre Medal, ETO Ribbon - Arrowhead with three stars, Korean Ribbon - one Arrowhead with two stars, four Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Medal, the Accommodation Medal for Vietnam with Cluster Award, the Vietnam Service Medal with four stars, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with four stars. A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. today in Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home chapel in Fayetteville with Chaplain Ben Duncan officiating. Burial will follow, with full military honors, in Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake. Services entrusted to Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home of Fayetteville.