Man, oh man… where do we even begin?

With extreme heartache and utter sadness, we announce the passing of our wonderful, amazing Dad — aka Pop, aka Pawpaw, aka Bill — formally known as William Vernice Alcorn.

To know him was to love him, or at the very least to hold a deep admiration and enormous respect for the man he was. Pop was preceded in death by his parents, Aubrey and Pearl Alcorn (Granny and Poppa), his one-year-old brother Joseph, and his beloved wife Barbara Alcorn (Ammom). And if you knew anything about Pop and Ammom, you know that once he saw her again, there was no coming back to this world.

He is survived by his son Scott Alcorn and Scott's children Jordan and Garrett; and by his daughter Kara Werndli (Drew) and her sons Codie, Dakota, and Caden. And of course, his loyal rescue dog Missy — his "pretty baby," even if the rest of us called her a spoiled dog. To him, she was family.

A Life of Service, Commitment, and Character

Pop was born July 22, 1943, and graduated from Central High School in Murfreesboro, TN, in 1961. His work ethic began early — at only 14, he took a job in the hospital bowling alley's recreation department manually setting bowling pins (1957–1961). He then spent two years working at Samsonite Corporation (1961–1963).

Then came the chapter that defined so much of his life.

In April 1963, Pop joined the U.S. Air Force, training as an Ammunition Specialist. His Air Force assignments took him to Japan, Vietnam (two deployments), and multiple bases across the United States.

In 1977, he transferred — with no break in service — into the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer One. He served at Fort Hood, Texas, as an Ammunition Technician, and later in the Republic of Panama; Fort Campbell, KY, as the 101st Airborne Division Ammunition Officer (DAO); the Republic of Korea, as Senior Ammunition Advisor to the ROK Army; and at Redstone Arsenal, AL, where he was certified as a Master Instructor for all ammunition courses.

He completed the Warrant Officer Advanced Course, the Ammunition Capstone Course, and served on the Worldwide Ammunition Board in Rock Island, IL.

After 26 years of combined military service, he retired on February 3, 1989. He could have gone on to become a CW4, but he chose his family first — turning down a move to Germany so they wouldn't have to uproot again. That was who he was.

Awards and Decorations

Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Presidential Unit Citation for Valor (V Device)
Vietnam Campaign Medal (three campaigns)
Vietnam Service Medal
National Defense Medal
Overseas Service Medal

Life After the Uniform

Even after retiring from military service, Pop continued giving back. He worked at AMTEC and ERC Incorporated as a Site Manager and Program Manager in the Redstone Test Center (RTC) at Redstone Arsenal. He also served as a Veteran Affairs Counselor, helping fellow veterans navigate benefits and support systems — a role he was deeply committed to.

He became certified through Disabled American Veterans (DAV) as a Veterans Service Officer, and his dedication to service extended into numerous organizations, including:

U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA), Life Member — where he served as Chapter Secretary (2016) during the year the Chapter was named Chapter of the Year (2017, worldwide)
Disable American Veterans (DAV), Life Member and Service Officer
Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), Life Member
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Life Member
American Legion, Annual Member
Proud Founding Sponsor of the National Museum of the U.S. Army

A Love That Stays With Us

Although Pop did so much for so many people during his time on this earth, in the eyes of his family and friends, it still wasn't long enough. He is already deeply, painfully missed. The only comfort comes from knowing he is with Ammom, Granny, and Poppa, reunited with those he loved so fiercely.

Ammom always said that when a person passes, we should rejoice, because they are entering a better place — and that when a baby is born, that's when we should cry, because they are entering this world. Right now, it's hard to follow that wisdom, because the tears won't stop.

Rest easy, Pop. Thank you for loving us the way you did, and for letting us love you just as deeply. Your life, your service, your stories, your hugs, your laughter — all of it remains with us.

We know how much you loved us. And you knew how much we loved you.

Please consider making a contribution to one of the below places that was near and dear to him:

1. Where he adopted his Missy "pretty baby" - https://256lendapaw.com/

2. United States Warrant Officer Association, P.O. Box 8032, Huntsville, AL 35802

3. Disabled American Veterans 55 Mountain Laurel Ln, Guntersville, AL 35976

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 6th, from 9:00 - 11:00 AM at Berryhill Funeral Home, with a service immediately following.