Dale was the youngest of four children, born to Merrill William and Mary Jeanette (Polite) Munro.
As a teenager, Dale worked as a pinsetter in a bowling alley, as did many young men of the time. Perhaps due to the tough times of the Great Depression, Dale never finished High School, however he would go on to earn his General Equivalency Degree during his career with the U.S. Army. Dale joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during what would have been his High School years and was assigned to a camp in White Cloud in Newaygo County, Michigan, helping with reforestation efforts. He was honorably discharged from the CCC on June 24, 1940, and shortly after, enlisted in the U.S. Army out of Detroit. Just a fresh 18 year old, little did he know the places he would travel and the journey that road would take him.
Dale's first duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington where he was assigned to the 10th and later the 39th Field Artillery, of the famed 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Marne Division", also the "Rock of the Marne" for its outstanding service during World War I. There at Fort Lewis, he served as a cannoneer until June 1942. In preparation for the United States involvement in World War II, the 3rd Infantry Division moved from Fort Lewis, Washington to Fort Picket, Virginia joining many other military units training for war.
Dale remained with the 3rd Infantry Division through World War II and earned five campaign ribbons:
Tunisia 30 Apr 1943 - 13 May 1943
Sicilian 23 Jul - 17 Aug 1943
Naples-Foggia 9 Sept 1943 - 21 Jan 1944
Rome-Arno 22 Jan 1944 - 6 Jun 1944
Central Europe 22 March-11 May 1945
The Rome-Arno campaign (Battle of Anzio), nicknamed Operation Shingle, of which Dale took part, was an amphibious landing against German forces in Italy at Anzio and Nettuno. Anzio, was dubbed by some as "Hell on Earth" because it was one of the bloodiest battles fought in Western Europe by the Allies in World War II. It lasted for 156 days and had been criticized by some as poorly planned. Ultimately however, it resulted in an Allied victory but at a tremendous cost in terms of human lives and suffering. The allied combat casualties totaled over 29,000, 4,400 killed and 37,000 non-combat casualties. In his later years, Dale would often remark to his family of the anniversary of Anzio each January. Clearly, it was an event that stayed with him and changed him forever.
After the conclusion of World War II, Dale was discharged and returned to Michigan where he was employed in Detroit as a cable car engineer, a job he was said to have loved. Eventually, with the demise of the cable car system, Dale reenlisted in the U.S. Army.
Dale met the love of his life, Marie Bitler in Lansing, circa 1946-1947 and married on 20 Sep 1947. Their four children, Kathy, Robin, Patty and Sherry blessed this union.
During Dale's time in the Army, he completed the High Speed Radio Operator course at Fort Gordon, Georgia and would go on to become a Radioman with various Signal Support Companies and eventually worked for the Army Security Agency, a precursor to what is now the National Security Agency.
An accomplished Radioman in the U.S. Army, Dale's love of decoding Morse code and working with short wave radios continued long after his retirement. He could be seen sitting at the kitchen table on occasion, with a cup of coffee, paper tablet and pencil, transcribing the familiar dit dit dah sounds to a readable language.
Dale was assigned to numerous duty stations both home and abroad, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Herzo Air Force Base, Germany and Hakata Air Force Base, Japan. The family eagerly looked forward to his retirement and rejoining family in the United States. Dale officially retired on August 31, 1965.
Dale attained the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC), however shortly before retiring, the services changed to the current pay grade system in place now and he was designated an E-6. He was allowed to retain the rank of SFC and wear the insignia on his sleeve. His headstone plaque reads SGT, however it should read SFC. Dale was a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Bio by his daughter, Patricia Fuller.
As a teenager, Dale worked as a pinsetter in a bowling alley, as did many young men of the time. Perhaps due to the tough times of the Great Depression, Dale never finished High School, however he would go on to earn his General Equivalency Degree during his career with the U.S. Army. Dale joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during what would have been his High School years and was assigned to a camp in White Cloud in Newaygo County, Michigan, helping with reforestation efforts. He was honorably discharged from the CCC on June 24, 1940, and shortly after, enlisted in the U.S. Army out of Detroit. Just a fresh 18 year old, little did he know the places he would travel and the journey that road would take him.
Dale's first duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington where he was assigned to the 10th and later the 39th Field Artillery, of the famed 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Marne Division", also the "Rock of the Marne" for its outstanding service during World War I. There at Fort Lewis, he served as a cannoneer until June 1942. In preparation for the United States involvement in World War II, the 3rd Infantry Division moved from Fort Lewis, Washington to Fort Picket, Virginia joining many other military units training for war.
Dale remained with the 3rd Infantry Division through World War II and earned five campaign ribbons:
Tunisia 30 Apr 1943 - 13 May 1943
Sicilian 23 Jul - 17 Aug 1943
Naples-Foggia 9 Sept 1943 - 21 Jan 1944
Rome-Arno 22 Jan 1944 - 6 Jun 1944
Central Europe 22 March-11 May 1945
The Rome-Arno campaign (Battle of Anzio), nicknamed Operation Shingle, of which Dale took part, was an amphibious landing against German forces in Italy at Anzio and Nettuno. Anzio, was dubbed by some as "Hell on Earth" because it was one of the bloodiest battles fought in Western Europe by the Allies in World War II. It lasted for 156 days and had been criticized by some as poorly planned. Ultimately however, it resulted in an Allied victory but at a tremendous cost in terms of human lives and suffering. The allied combat casualties totaled over 29,000, 4,400 killed and 37,000 non-combat casualties. In his later years, Dale would often remark to his family of the anniversary of Anzio each January. Clearly, it was an event that stayed with him and changed him forever.
After the conclusion of World War II, Dale was discharged and returned to Michigan where he was employed in Detroit as a cable car engineer, a job he was said to have loved. Eventually, with the demise of the cable car system, Dale reenlisted in the U.S. Army.
Dale met the love of his life, Marie Bitler in Lansing, circa 1946-1947 and married on 20 Sep 1947. Their four children, Kathy, Robin, Patty and Sherry blessed this union.
During Dale's time in the Army, he completed the High Speed Radio Operator course at Fort Gordon, Georgia and would go on to become a Radioman with various Signal Support Companies and eventually worked for the Army Security Agency, a precursor to what is now the National Security Agency.
An accomplished Radioman in the U.S. Army, Dale's love of decoding Morse code and working with short wave radios continued long after his retirement. He could be seen sitting at the kitchen table on occasion, with a cup of coffee, paper tablet and pencil, transcribing the familiar dit dit dah sounds to a readable language.
Dale was assigned to numerous duty stations both home and abroad, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Herzo Air Force Base, Germany and Hakata Air Force Base, Japan. The family eagerly looked forward to his retirement and rejoining family in the United States. Dale officially retired on August 31, 1965.
Dale attained the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC), however shortly before retiring, the services changed to the current pay grade system in place now and he was designated an E-6. He was allowed to retain the rank of SFC and wear the insignia on his sleeve. His headstone plaque reads SGT, however it should read SFC. Dale was a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Bio by his daughter, Patricia Fuller.
Dale was the youngest of four children, born to Merrill William and Mary Jeanette (Polite) Munro.
As a teenager, Dale worked as a pinsetter in a bowling alley, as did many young men of the time. Perhaps due to the tough times of the Great Depression, Dale never finished High School, however he would go on to earn his General Equivalency Degree during his career with the U.S. Army. Dale joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during what would have been his High School years and was assigned to a camp in White Cloud in Newaygo County, Michigan, helping with reforestation efforts. He was honorably discharged from the CCC on June 24, 1940, and shortly after, enlisted in the U.S. Army out of Detroit. Just a fresh 18 year old, little did he know the places he would travel and the journey that road would take him.
Dale's first duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington where he was assigned to the 10th and later the 39th Field Artillery, of the famed 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Marne Division", also the "Rock of the Marne" for its outstanding service during World War I. There at Fort Lewis, he served as a cannoneer until June 1942. In preparation for the United States involvement in World War II, the 3rd Infantry Division moved from Fort Lewis, Washington to Fort Picket, Virginia joining many other military units training for war.
Dale remained with the 3rd Infantry Division through World War II and earned five campaign ribbons:
Tunisia 30 Apr 1943 - 13 May 1943
Sicilian 23 Jul - 17 Aug 1943
Naples-Foggia 9 Sept 1943 - 21 Jan 1944
Rome-Arno 22 Jan 1944 - 6 Jun 1944
Central Europe 22 March-11 May 1945
The Rome-Arno campaign (Battle of Anzio), nicknamed Operation Shingle, of which Dale took part, was an amphibious landing against German forces in Italy at Anzio and Nettuno. Anzio, was dubbed by some as "Hell on Earth" because it was one of the bloodiest battles fought in Western Europe by the Allies in World War II. It lasted for 156 days and had been criticized by some as poorly planned. Ultimately however, it resulted in an Allied victory but at a tremendous cost in terms of human lives and suffering. The allied combat casualties totaled over 29,000, 4,400 killed and 37,000 non-combat casualties. In his later years, Dale would often remark to his family of the anniversary of Anzio each January. Clearly, it was an event that stayed with him and changed him forever.
After the conclusion of World War II, Dale was discharged and returned to Michigan where he was employed in Detroit as a cable car engineer, a job he was said to have loved. Eventually, with the demise of the cable car system, Dale reenlisted in the U.S. Army.
Dale met the love of his life, Marie Bitler in Lansing, circa 1946-1947 and married on 20 Sep 1947. Their four children, Kathy, Robin, Patty and Sherry blessed this union.
During Dale's time in the Army, he completed the High Speed Radio Operator course at Fort Gordon, Georgia and would go on to become a Radioman with various Signal Support Companies and eventually worked for the Army Security Agency, a precursor to what is now the National Security Agency.
An accomplished Radioman in the U.S. Army, Dale's love of decoding Morse code and working with short wave radios continued long after his retirement. He could be seen sitting at the kitchen table on occasion, with a cup of coffee, paper tablet and pencil, transcribing the familiar dit dit dah sounds to a readable language.
Dale was assigned to numerous duty stations both home and abroad, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Herzo Air Force Base, Germany and Hakata Air Force Base, Japan. The family eagerly looked forward to his retirement and rejoining family in the United States. Dale officially retired on August 31, 1965.
Dale attained the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC), however shortly before retiring, the services changed to the current pay grade system in place now and he was designated an E-6. He was allowed to retain the rank of SFC and wear the insignia on his sleeve. His headstone plaque reads SGT, however it should read SFC. Dale was a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Bio by his daughter, Patricia Fuller.
As a teenager, Dale worked as a pinsetter in a bowling alley, as did many young men of the time. Perhaps due to the tough times of the Great Depression, Dale never finished High School, however he would go on to earn his General Equivalency Degree during his career with the U.S. Army. Dale joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during what would have been his High School years and was assigned to a camp in White Cloud in Newaygo County, Michigan, helping with reforestation efforts. He was honorably discharged from the CCC on June 24, 1940, and shortly after, enlisted in the U.S. Army out of Detroit. Just a fresh 18 year old, little did he know the places he would travel and the journey that road would take him.
Dale's first duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington where he was assigned to the 10th and later the 39th Field Artillery, of the famed 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Marne Division", also the "Rock of the Marne" for its outstanding service during World War I. There at Fort Lewis, he served as a cannoneer until June 1942. In preparation for the United States involvement in World War II, the 3rd Infantry Division moved from Fort Lewis, Washington to Fort Picket, Virginia joining many other military units training for war.
Dale remained with the 3rd Infantry Division through World War II and earned five campaign ribbons:
Tunisia 30 Apr 1943 - 13 May 1943
Sicilian 23 Jul - 17 Aug 1943
Naples-Foggia 9 Sept 1943 - 21 Jan 1944
Rome-Arno 22 Jan 1944 - 6 Jun 1944
Central Europe 22 March-11 May 1945
The Rome-Arno campaign (Battle of Anzio), nicknamed Operation Shingle, of which Dale took part, was an amphibious landing against German forces in Italy at Anzio and Nettuno. Anzio, was dubbed by some as "Hell on Earth" because it was one of the bloodiest battles fought in Western Europe by the Allies in World War II. It lasted for 156 days and had been criticized by some as poorly planned. Ultimately however, it resulted in an Allied victory but at a tremendous cost in terms of human lives and suffering. The allied combat casualties totaled over 29,000, 4,400 killed and 37,000 non-combat casualties. In his later years, Dale would often remark to his family of the anniversary of Anzio each January. Clearly, it was an event that stayed with him and changed him forever.
After the conclusion of World War II, Dale was discharged and returned to Michigan where he was employed in Detroit as a cable car engineer, a job he was said to have loved. Eventually, with the demise of the cable car system, Dale reenlisted in the U.S. Army.
Dale met the love of his life, Marie Bitler in Lansing, circa 1946-1947 and married on 20 Sep 1947. Their four children, Kathy, Robin, Patty and Sherry blessed this union.
During Dale's time in the Army, he completed the High Speed Radio Operator course at Fort Gordon, Georgia and would go on to become a Radioman with various Signal Support Companies and eventually worked for the Army Security Agency, a precursor to what is now the National Security Agency.
An accomplished Radioman in the U.S. Army, Dale's love of decoding Morse code and working with short wave radios continued long after his retirement. He could be seen sitting at the kitchen table on occasion, with a cup of coffee, paper tablet and pencil, transcribing the familiar dit dit dah sounds to a readable language.
Dale was assigned to numerous duty stations both home and abroad, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Herzo Air Force Base, Germany and Hakata Air Force Base, Japan. The family eagerly looked forward to his retirement and rejoining family in the United States. Dale officially retired on August 31, 1965.
Dale attained the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC), however shortly before retiring, the services changed to the current pay grade system in place now and he was designated an E-6. He was allowed to retain the rank of SFC and wear the insignia on his sleeve. His headstone plaque reads SGT, however it should read SFC. Dale was a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Bio by his daughter, Patricia Fuller.
