Granbury – John A Langford, Jr., 87, a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, passed away, on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Inurnment: 2:15 PM, Friday, February 21, 2020, Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery.
JAL was born July 17, 1932 in Durant Oklahoma to John A and Flora Belle Langford.
As he always said, when he was old enough to know where he was, he crossed the Red River to Texas and spent his youth in Sherman. He graduated in 1950 from Sherman High School where he was a member of the football team.
He attended what is now University of Texas in Arlington and Southern Methodist University where he graduated in 1956 with a degree in History. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Air Force ROTC program where he was commissioned in 1956. He served 25 years retiring in 1981 at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC. His Air Force assignments included duty in Germany, Thailand and Korea. During his career he served as a Navigator in the C-130 aircraft and as a Weapon Systems Operator in the F-4E Phantom where he flew 180 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Notable assignments include tours as Commander, Air Force Recruiting Squadron in Washington DC, responsible for Air Force recruiting in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware, Chief of the Command Post in Osan, Korea and Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at Louisiana State University. Decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with thirteen Oak Leaf Clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with thirteen Oak Leaf Clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster.
Following active duty in the Air Force, he established and headed the Junior Air Force ROTC program at Northwood High School in Montgomery County, Maryland for four years.
After earning a Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia, he practiced law in Prince George’s County, Maryland for many years. He was a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland Bars, and a former member of the Prince George’s Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. After retiring in West Virginia, he returned home to Texas in 2002.
John was also a member of the Air Force Association, American Legion and the Texas State Society in Washington, DC.
His parents, his wife, Marie Gay Langford, and his son, John A Langford, III preceded him in death.
Survivors: Sons, Mitchel A. Langford, Oneida, Tennessee, Kyle W. Langford and wife, Debbie of Fulton, Maryland, Brett H. Langford of Montgomery, Alabama and daughter, Heather M Langford, Salt Lake City, Utah. Grandchildren include Brent Langford, Kelly Langford, Brittany Brimley and Tyler Sapp and several great-grandchildren.
