Posted by Ken Heitzke on August 25, 2005:

To paraphrase an old Field Artillery saying, ? Artillery lends dignity to that which otherwise would be a vulgar brawl,? ?Dale lent fun, laughter and excitement to four years which otherwise would have been an exhausting and overwhelming experience.? During our four years at West Point in Company K-1, it was always fun and sometimes exciting to be with Dale. He was the envy of many of us since he did not have to study particularly hard to succeed in the battle with the academic department. He was great in sports. During plebe boxing one always dreaded being paired with Dale. One advantage, though, was that the more blood that flowed the better grade received. Dale always assured his opponent got a good grade! During our summer training, especially the trips away from West Point, Dale was always the one to travel with ? he drew beautiful women, 3.0 in cadet slang (a 10 in today?s lingo), like a magnet. (Witness Bev) There certainly was no competition between Dale and the Cadet Hostess, Mrs.Barth. At the end of plebe year Dale Bill Miotke and I along with a 2nd classman traveled to Wisconsin in a car owned by another K-1 second classman. With five of us with luggage in a rather small car traveling non-stop, except for necessities, from West Point to Milwaukee with speed limits being 45 mph on Route 66 the trip became somewhat contentious. Thank God for Dale and his sense of humor or we never would have made it. Dale?s good humor and never taking things too seriously always made what could have been intolerable situations tolerable. A few years after graduation we met in Virginia, I believe it was in 1967. Dale had an aircraft accident in Europe and was recuperating in the Washington area. Lois and I had a number of pleasant dinners and evenings with Bev and Dale. We had the pleasure of getting to know Bev during this time. Dale was very fortunate to have such a loving and caring person at his side. Despite his serious injuries Dale had not lost his zest for life and his sense of humor. During the intervening years we kept in touch via Christmas letters. Thirty years later we met in California. We had a mini K-1 reunion; Dale and Bevy, Ann Miotke, Frank and Ruth Doyle and Lois and I. This is the time we learned first hand about the many motor-home trips they made and were planning. It was couple of years later that Dale was diagnosed with leukemia. We closely followed his fight through chemotherapy and remission for the next six years. He appeared to attack this problem with the same vigor, good spirits and humor that he attacked any problem and life in general. We know Dale is in God?s loving hands today. He fought the hard battle and now he can watch over his family while he awaits to be with them again. Our hearth felt sympathy goes out to Bev and their children Kerry, Scott and Dana and their families. I know they are very proud of Dale who did so much for his country and are grateful for the life values he lived by and taught and instilled in them. We say, ?Well done, Dale, be thou at peace.?

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