A Fallen Hero
Dale Shultz was described as a “good Christian boy” by those who knew him in 1968.
That was the year he graduated from Freeport High School and, like many of the graduates that year, he faced a high probability of being shipped out to fight in the jungles of Vietnam.
That year marked the start of the Tet Offensive phase of the Vietnam War, a series of attacks on more than 100 cities in South Vietnam, which some consider a turning point in the war.
Shultz, upon being issued a draft number that meant he was likely to get drafted, decided to skip the wait and join voluntarily.
Shultz enlisted in the Army in January 1969 with two friends — Dave Coward and Gary Blewitt — through a program called the “buddy plan” that allowed them to stay together through basic training.
Shultz shipped out on Mother's Day 1970 for a one-year tour. He did not make it back alive. His body would return home less than a year later, after he was killed by a land mine.
Shultz will be honored at a Memorial Day ceremony Sunday at Sower's Chapel, 100 Iron Bridge Road, Sarver. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will begin at 11 a.m. in the church's outdoor sanctuary.
The son of Charles and Helen Shultz of Freeport, he was the youngest of three siblings.
Family members described him as a faith and family-oriented man.
“He was the sweetest, kindest most generous person you ever wanted to meet,” his sister, Lila Simmers, said.
Back home, some of his friends affectionately called him by the nickname “Mousy” in reference to his short stature, Simmers said. He had a Honda motorcycle and one friend had even drawn a mouse on the front of his helmet.
He was trained as an infantry soldier in Fort Sill in Oklahoma and was later stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado and Fort Polk in Louisiana.
While in Colorado he met a young woman named Roberta Gilloth. The two continued to exchange letters and became engaged to be married. She traveled to Freeport to meet his family shortly before his death.
His other sister Linda Henderson, 10 years his senior, said he frequently wrote letters to his family and to his Sunday School teacher Miss McIntyre — an elderly woman who had never married.
Henderson said he was always upbeat in his letters. He never regretted joining the Army and one common sentiment he shared in letters was that he wanted to make sure that his nephews, ages 3, 4 and 8 when he enlisted, would never have to fight a war on American soil.“He was honored to be able to fight so his nephews wouldn't have to fight,” Henderson said.According to a letter sent to his parents by two Army officers in his unit, on Dec. 23, 1970, in Quang Tin Province, Dale's unit was moving into sniper position on a hill when they discovered several land mines.As an extraction helicopter was leaving, its backwash pushed a soldier off balance who tripped one of the mines. Shultz was injured by grenade fragments and rushed to a hospital in Chu Lai, where he died of his wounds.“As a member of this command, Dale was well liked by all of us fortunate enough to have served with him,” the letter read.Among his military awards were a Bronze star, Combat infantry badge and a Purple Heart, awarded posthumously.Al and Trish Lindsay said they have been organizing tributes for the annual Memorial Day service for more than 10 years.Many of the past honorees were local people who served in World War II or the Korean War. This year they wanted to recognize a soldier who served in the Vietnam War.Unlike World War II and other American conflicts, the Vietnam War was very controversial. Many soldiers who returned home were jeered or spit on, instead of thanked and honored, Al Lindsay said.“These men and women were every bit as brave, every bit as patriotic as any soldier who have ever fought for the United States of America,” Lindsay said.Sunday's service will include a flag ceremony performed by the Butler Junior ROTC, patriotic hymns and a tribute to Dale Shultz. Many of his surviving relatives are expected to attend.The Rev. John Foester, the pastor who officiated Shultz's funeral in 1971 at Freeport United Presbyterian Church, is also expected to attend. Now retired, Foester is a resident of Concordia at Cabot retirement community, Trish Lindsay said.
