Terry J. Dalton, 87, an Arlington resident who was a retired senior attorney-adviser with the old Civil Service Commission, died of respiratory failure June 27, 2001, at Arlington Hospital. He had dementia.
He joined the commission in New York as a personnel investigator in 1946. Ten years later, he moved to the commission’s general counsel’s office in Washington. He retired in 1972.
Mr. Dalton, who was born in Mississippi, first came to Washington in 1934 to attend Catholic University’s law school and work as a government messenger. He graduated in 1942 and was admitted to the Mississippi Bar.
During World War II, he served in the Mediterranean theater and in Europe and participated in the Battle of Anzio, where he was a mortar platoon sergeant. When the war ended in Europe, he served for a time as an Army lawyer in Paris.
Among the items he brought back from the war were his medals, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. According to his son, he also brought back wartime gambling winnings he used to pay off his parents’ mortgage.
After retiring from the Civil Service Commission, he traveled the world and, from 1995 until returning to the Washington area in 1999, lived in Beaumont, Texas.
Mr. Dalton was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division Association, the Anzio Survivors Association and the Federal Bar Association. He was a 30-year volunteer subject for the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging.
His wife of 51 years, Marguerite C. Dalton, died in 2000. Survivors include a son, Robert C., of Arlington; and a grandson.
Combat Infantryman’s Badge
DALTON, TERRY J., JR., Federal Attorney
On Wednesday, June 27, 2001, of Arlington, VA. Husband of the late Marguerite C. Dalton; father of Robert C. (Rosalie) Dalton; grandfather of David J. Dalton. Graveside services will be held on Monday, July 9, 10 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to SOME, So Others Might Eat, 71 O St NW, Washington, DC 20001-1290.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard