Edgar Hayden Dale – Captain, United States Army

Edgar H. Dale, who was employed as an engineer on the Welland canal in Canada, returned to Coffeyville, Kansas, to become Captain of the Company. He had formerly been a Lieutenant under Colonel McCrum in the Kansas National Guard. A gallant and accomplished soldier, Captain Dale was the most beloved of the four commanders under whom the company served during the war. He was killed in action in the Argonne in September, 1918.

His son, Edgar H. Dale II, (23 April 1915-16 February 1943) about four years old at that time, was graduated from West Point in the class of 1938. Assigned to the Philippines, he was a Captain of Infantry under General MacArthur when the Japanese attacked. He was cited for bravery on Bataan, where he was wounded and taken prisoner. Word was received in the fall of 1943 that he had died in a prison camp in Japan.

During the fall, the Thirty-fifth division was organized by combining the Kansas and Missouri National Guards. The Fourth Missouri infantry was consolidated with the Third Kansas to form the 139th regiment. Nearly half the officers lost their commands. Among them was Captain Dale. He was later assigned to a company in the Second battalion of the regiment.

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