Dale was born in Marshfield, the oldest of 7 children, and a 1967 graduate of Pittsville High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in Nov. 1968 under the buddy system with his cousin, Jack Hahn, and good friend, Bob Grossman. They trained for the combat infantry in Hawaii and Okinawa before heading to Vietnam later that year. In Okinawa Dale attained certification as a marksmanship instructor. From 1968 to 1970, while serving in the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine 3rd Division, Dale saw two rotations of combat while stationed in Da Nang more combat training and then several months aboard the USS New Orleans in the Gulf of Tonkin. He finished his service as a military policeman in Albany, Georgia followed by four years of reserve duty. Lance Corporal Hahn was discharged in 1974 and married Jane Schill. Dale wrote often to Jane during his time in Vietnam and often said he didn’t tell his parents things because he didn’t want them to worry about what he was experiencing. He was a strong believer in his faith which he knew helped him a lot through difficult times. He ended most letters with “say a prayer for us.” Dale was always proud to have served his country and being a Marine. After his service, Dale worked for 43 years in the Kraft paper mill,as a freight checker. He never missed a day of work and enjoyed his co-workers very much. Dale cherished spending time with his wife, his sons Nick and Bobby of whom he was very proud, his grandchildren, his brothers and sisters, family and friends. Dale passed away at the age of 60 in 2011 on the Marine Corps birthday.