Catherine Spence Dry – United States Navy Spouse

Catherine Spence “Kitty” Dry, 86, the wife of a Navy officer, and a former model and singer, died April 8, 2008, at Sunrise assisted living facility in McLean. She had Alzheimer’s disease.

Mrs. Dry was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and was a singer and model in her youth. She settled in the United States after her marriage in 1945 and taught modeling. She also sang in many community musical theater productions.

As the wife of a Navy officer, she traveled a great deal and lived in Turkey, Japan, Pennsylvania, New York and Florida before settling in Falls Church.

Her husband, retired Navy Captain Melvin Hultquist Dry, died in 1997.

Her oldest son, Lieutenant Melvin Spence Dry, was a Navy SEAL who was killed in action in 1972 while leading a rescue effort in North Vietnam to free U.S. prisoners of war. He was the last Navy SEAL killed in Vietnam. The nature of his mission remained classified by the Navy until this year. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star in a ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in February.

Survivors include two sons, James Richard Dry of Falls Church and Robert William Dry of Washington; a brother; and six grandchildren.

DRY, MELVIN H
LT   US NAVY
VIETNAM
DATE OF BIRTH: 02/13/1911
DATE OF DEATH: 08/27/1997
BURIED AT: SECTION 10  SITE 11332
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

DRY, MELVIN SPENCE
LT   US NAVY
VIETNAM
DATE OF BIRTH: 03/13/1946
DATE OF DEATH: 06/06/1972
BURIED AT: SECTION 10  SITE 11332
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

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