Military Involvement
- Dale served in the United States Army, 85th Infantry Division, 910th Field Artillery Battalion.
- On May 15, 1942, the 85th Infantry Division was formally reactivated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi; this would be its home for the next 9 months.
- Dale entered the military on November 16, 1942, at Camp Shelby and was assigned the service number 34480645.
- In the fall of 1942, his division reached quota and all artillery and engineer units were filled.
- In early spring of 1943, the division relocated to Louisiana for corps maneuvers which included mock combat with other units.
- Due to the demand for troops with desert combat experience, the 85th Infantry was transferred to the Desert training center at Camp Pilot Knob, California.
- They completed desert warfare training in mid-September of 1943.
- Because their training was complete, the division was shipped by railroad to Fort Dix, New Jersey in October 1943, prior to their assignment(s) overseas.
- The theater of war in which they would be was unknown initially.
- In December of 1943, the division arrived at Camp Patrick Henry near Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation; this was one step away from their final jump to the war front.
- The 910th Field Artillery Battalion boarded the HMS Andes on December 31, 1943; they departed from Hampton Roads on New Year’s Day 1944.