Post Falls man inducted into hall of fame for military service, veteran advocacy

POST FALLS — Dale Wilson joined the U.S. Army and became an infantryman overseas because he was upset at how people treated soldiers in the Vietnam War. 

When he was wounded, he had to travel on crutches to get physical training. One day, while resting on a porch along the way to therapy, he received an unexpected proposal. 

An officer asked him, “Do you have journalism experience? How would you like to be a combat photographer?” 

He had learned how to take photographs, process film and had experience running small publications such as his school newspaper, so he said yes. 

“I wanted to tell stories,” Wilson said. 

Wilson soon was tagging along with different units for a few days at a time, handing off stories and photos and starting the process all over again. 

“I saw a lot more of the war than I would have if I had stayed in my little infantry area,” Wilson said.  

Wilson was recently inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame for Lifelong Service and was honored at Fort Benning, Ga.

It was a point of pride for him that his son, a lieutenant colonel, and his son’s wife, a colonel, were there.

In the letter advocating for Wilson to be included in the Hall of Fame, retired Major General Gregg Martin cited the military history of mechanized warfare Wilson had illuminated. 

“Since retiring, he has been active in service to veterans at the local, state and national levels,” Martin wrote. 

Wilson has served in the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America and the Combat Infantrymen’s Association. 

He served in the Army from 1969 to 1991. 

“I was doing very well as an enlisted man,” Wilson said. 

Wilson was pushed by an officer to teach at the United States Military Academy at West Point and wound up returning to school to pursue his master’s and doctoral degrees. 

“Uncle Sam paid my way to go to grad school for 21 months,” Wilson said. 

After presenting his dissertation on the Army tank corps in World War I to the panel of professors, he tried to wait patiently while they deliberated. 

“They came back and said, 'Congratulations, Dr. Wilson,'” he said. 

His wish is to remind people there is a debt to be paid when it comes to veterans and hopes more people will learn about their stories. 

“If you take the war out of history, what the hell is left?” Wilson asked. 

    Dale Wilson stands next to Thinh, at that time only 15 years old. Thinh had switched sides to become a "Kit Carson scout" and was working with Wilson's infantry battalion. Wilson was wounded 33 days after this photo was taken.