CSM (Ret.) Millard BallClarksville, TNCommand Sergeant Major (Ret.) Millard Roger Ball, age 89 of Clarksville, passed away on Sunday, February 12, 2017.A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 17, 2017 at the chapel of McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home. Following the service, he will be laid to rest with Full Military Honors at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West. Visitation will be from 4-7:30 Thursday with a Masonic Service following and from 9 a.m. until the hour of service on Friday. . Millard was born on October 23, 1927 in Paris, MO to the late George Dewey Ball and Venus Cleary Ball. He was a member of 187th RCT Airborne Association, 11th Airborne Association, 101ST Airborne Association, and VFW. He was a 33rd Degree Mason with Oregon Military Lodge #223, and a member the Methodist Church. At 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marines in 1945 and served in the Caribbean Sea, after being discharged, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946 and served in the Occupation of Japan. In 1950, CSM Ball accompanied the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team to Korea. He made two combat jumps during this time: Sukchon in 1950 and Munsan Ni in 1951. Following this tour of duty, CSM Ball returned to Ft Campbell and was assigned to the 188th Airborne Infantry Regiment. Over the next seven years, he held progressive assignments with MAAG Taiwan, the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Ft Bragg, NC, AMAS Yugoslavia, and HQ, 11th Airborne Division, Augsburg, Germany. In 1958, he accompanied the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th AIR to Lebanon, returning to HQ, 24th Infantry Division in Germany. 1961 Found CSM Ball assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Ft Campbell, departing for Vietnam in 1965 with 1st Brigade, 101st ABN. Following his tour in Vietnam, he was assigned to HQ 5th Corps in Frankfurt, Germany. His final assignments were with HQ 8th Army Support Command and as an Advisor to the Hawaii and Alabama Army National Guard. CSM Ball holds numerous awards and decorations, to include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for his service in Korea, Lebanon, and Vietnam. He is a Master Parachutist, wears the Combat Infantryman Badge with star, and holds the Vietnamese Master Parachutist Badge. He was also the Honorary Sergeant Major of the 187th Infantry Regiment from February 1996 to April 2001.He is preceded in death by his sisters, Rebecca Mildred McCraw, and Hazel Irene McCullough and his brothers, George Thomas Ball and Kenneth Andrew Ball. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ljiljana Ball; daughter, Sandra Ball Finney husband John of Culleoka, TN; son, LTC (Ret.) Robert David Ball wife Gayvin of Southern Pines, NC; grandchildren, Lili Katherine Finney, Larkin Cleary Finney, and Jackson Flynn O'Keady; and sister, Katherine Ball Young of Central, MO. He loved the Lord, his family and spending time with his grandchildren, his country, his many friends, the Rakkasans, and the Tennessee Volunteers.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher House. Online condolences may be made at NaveFuneralHomes.com. (931) 647-3371.