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Born in Valier, PA on September 9, 1909, <em>Dale Eugene Means</em> was the eldest son of Edward Blair and Carrie Layotte (Bortz) Means. He attended grammar school in Valier and later attended nearby Punxsutawney High School. After graduating in 1927, he remained there for an additional year in order to take more course work to better position himself for higher education and future advancement.</p>
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Dale then entered West Point by congressional appointment in the summer of 1928. As a cadet, he concentrated on academics, maintained his sense of humor, and enjoyed becoming proficient as a horseman. He graduated on June 10, 1932 and commissioned as a Field Artillery officer. After branch training, he was assigned to Fort Bragg, NC for duty with the 4th Field Artillery.</p>
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While there he met a lovely and talented young artist named Cleo Cynthia Brown of nearby Fayetteville, NC. She was still attending an art school in Washington, DC, but he soon began to influence her plans for the future. One thing led to another, and the dashing young field artilleryman and polo player asked for her hand in marriage. She agreed and they were wed on September 24, 1934. They departed Fort Bragg soon after, in early 1935, so that Dale could report to Schofield Barracks, HI for duty with the 13th Field Artillery. They were indeed fortunate to have a “honeymoon” assignment for the next several years but had to depart in June 1937 for further branch training at Fort Sill, OK.</p>
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Dale was subsequently assigned to Fort Benning, GA for duty with the 83rd Field Artillery. Their first child, Julie Meredith Means, was born there on June 13, 1939. They departed in January 1940 for yet another assignment at Fort Bragg. During that tour of duty with the post headquarters staff, their second child, Dale Findley Means, was born on September 25, 1941.</p>
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As World War II combat operations loomed, Dale was reassigned to Fort Knox, KY, in January 1942, for duty as the assistant Artillery officer for Armored Forces. In September, he was assigned to Camp Beale, CA for duty as the executive officer for the Division Artillery of the 13th Armored (Black Cat) Division, a unit that would be later assigned to General George Patton’s Third Army in Europe. He served as the battalion commander of the 496th Armored Field Artillery battalion from February to August 1943.</p>
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Deployment to the European Theater of Operations followed. He was an instrumental part of the advance party of the Division, ensuring its smooth arrival and deployment into France. It saw close combat in its subsequent march across Germany to a holding position in Bavaria. Dale ended his tour in October 1945 as division chief of staff and was highly decorated for his World War II service.</p>
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Following the war, he was briefly reassigned to Fort Sill, then served with occupation forces in Japan for two years, assigned to the G-3 section of the Third Army. He returned to Norfolk, VA in 1948 to attend the Armed Forces Staff College. Their third child, Randolph Blair Means, was born on April 1, 1949 at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital.</p>
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Dale then attended the Army War College at Fort Leavenworth, KS and completed yet another short assignment to Fort Sill. He was assigned in 1951 to the Civil Affairs Directorate of the Army Staff in the Pentagon for several years, then was selected in 1953 as the Director of Gunnery at the Artillery School, a most prestigious position for a Field Artillery colonel.</p>
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He remained at Fort Sill until the summer of 1956, when he was reassigned as the division Artillery executive with the 8th Infantry (Golden Arrow) Division located near Stuttgart, Germany. In the fall of 1957, he was selected to become the Secretary of the Joint Staff, Headquarters, European Command (EUCOM), located in Paris, France and moved there in December with his family to assume those duties. He completed his assignment there in June 1959 and returned Stateside to complete his Army career as professor of military science of the Army ROTC program at Stanford University.</p>
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Dale retired from active duty in June 1962, having been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Army Commendation Medal, on multiple occasions.</p>
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He returned with his family to North Carolina and quickly decided to pursue a second career in higher education. He applied for and was accepted into the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at Duke University. Dale completed that graduate work in 1965 and was asked by Duke to remain there as a faculty member to teach mathematics. Two years later he was offered a professorship at the University of North Carolina at Fayetteville and taught there from 1967 to 1974, when he retired to reflect on life and enjoy one of his fondest activities—vacationing on the Carolina coast, boating and fishing along the inland waterway.</p>
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Dale very unexpectedly passed away on April 27, 1981. His life and performance of duties clearly reflected the Academy motto of “Duty, Honor, Country.” A man of integrity, hard work, and sound character, he distinguished himself in both war and peace, as a soldier and as an educator. He was buried with full military honors at the Fort Bragg Military Cemetery. Cleo was later buried there with him in November 1997.</p>
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Dale’s legacy of education, service, and sacrifice was extended in the lives of his three children. His daughter attended Stanford University and married an Army officer who later died in Vietnam. Dale’s elder son also became a West Pointer, decorated combat veteran, and Army colonel. His younger son attended a top-tier public university and served as a naval officer.</p>
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<em>— Julie M. Weikert, Dale F. Means, and Randolph B. Means</em></p>