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This page will contain information associated with veterans from Dale Borough who served in the Armed Forces.
Tribune Democrat article 2011.pdf
Charles Schech (Army Air Corps WWII - photo from 1940) - Father of Pauline Schech Saternow and Tracey Schech Berkey, husband of Jeanne Schech. Dad passed away in 2008. Charles Schech (Dad) was a waist gunner on a B17 in Europe during World War II in the Army Air Corps.
This photo of Charles Schech Senior is from the early 2000’s when some of the old planes were on display at the Johnstown Airport.
Charles Schech (Air Force - photo from 1967) - brother of Pauline Schech Saternow and Tracey Schech Berkey., son of Jeanne Schech.
Charlie passed away in 1991. Charles Schech (brother) joined the Air Force after graduating high school in 1967. Both Dad and our brother are now deceased but we are very proud of their service.
Bill Devlin, Sr. US Army Special Forces and 101st Airborne
Ivo High, WWII
Ivo High, WWII
Matthew Livingston,
U.S. Air Force
Robert Wentz, Army and Dale Police Officer (left). Robert Hassell, Jr. US Air Force.
SHARED BY GEORGE BLUM
Expelled from high school, in my junior year, for playing hookey! My dad was very strict, and embarassed over my dismissal, and life at home became a little hurtful! I sure was not able to lay around the house watching tv, so I decided to enlist in the air force! I signed up at the old post office bldg in downtown Pittsburgh on the beginning of August 1954, and they scheduled my departure for the 31st of Aug, early in the AM. My first plane ride to Sampson AF base, in upstate New York was in a little civilian 2 engine puddle jumper, and made me fleetingly wonder how we had won wars!
Basic training was about 3 months long, and interesting, to say the least, and I came through it, feeling good about myself, and ready to be of service to my country! My first assignment was on the job training with a B-36 bomb wing in Fort Worth Texas. Carswell AFB was a Strategic Air Force base, which was a very tight, top secret outfit, under the command of General Curtiss Le May, who was a hard taskmaster, and known far and wide for his "by the book" style of leadership!
I managed to get through the difficult early days, and became a special weapons man, meaning that I became responsible for handling, loading, and unloading the early nuclear weapons, which were very large, complex weapons! These early super bombs were huge and heavy, and were primarily designed for use in the B-36s, which could take off from our Texas runways, fly at high altitudes to targets on the other side of the globe, and turn around and return to base, without landing or refueling! They flew such training flights on a daily basis back then!
They mostly had 20 MM cannons in the tail for close up protection. I have also worked on some that had 50 cal. guns on board too.
They had the capability to fly high enough to be out of reach by most foreign aircraft! Had several side trips while in Texas, and got to see such exotic places like Casablanca Morocco, Athens Greece, Adana Turkey, and Sardinia!
I only spent a year at Ft Worth, and shipped to Ramey afb in Puerto Rico, to another sac base, with B-36s, so I hit the ground running there, since I knew the drill by now! Spent 3 years at Ramey, and took my discharge in May of 1958
I wouldn't trade that 4 years for anything!!
A COMMENT ADDED BY BOB HASSELL
GEORGE BLUM, you were some of the first Nuclear Weapons Specialists in the USAF! I too worked Nuclear Weapons in the USAF. I was a 463X1. I still work for the Air Force after 40 years and I am still tinkering with special weapons! Thanks for leading the way George! We were both SAC trained killers...lol.
SHARED BY ANNE KNIPPLE RICHARDS
My dad, Roger Merle Knipple, was in the Navy aboard the USS Oriskany. I believe 1961-1963. Then he was in the reserves.
All of his brothers were in the Navy: Charles R Knipple, Donald Wayne Knipple, Jay Paul Knipple, Tommy Knipple
Roger loved his hometown and proudly spoke of his years there. He was a member of the Dale volunteer firemen. Although he moved to Cincinnati around 1968, he always called Jtown home. He took our family on visits often when I was a younger child. Roger continued to visit for class reunions when able.
Are you looking for an enlistment picture? I have recent pictures of my dad, Roger. He passed away 8/14/23. I can get an enlistment picture, but I will have to dig it out. I took him on an Honor Flight in 2019 and he said it was one the best days he has ever had.
Roger Knipple
Roger Knipple
Donald E. Schmidt
Veterans Day, thinking of my father in particular. He dropped out of Dale high school in 1945 and ran away from home to get in the cavalry. Since the horse cavalry was no more, he enlisted in the Army Air Force. And went to Germany having trained as a B-17 radioman/gunner. The AAF became the Air Force in 1947, and he did the first year of the Berlin Air Lift. Then he joined the Navy. Then the PA National Guard for Korea.
From Curt Schmidt about his father and his family.
Life in Dale. Easter 1952. In December 1948 my father was discharged from the Air Force when General Eisenhower decided that American soldiers who had married German women were security risks and were sent back to the States. Before returning home for Christmas, he had wired my grandfather money to buy a new Nash Rambler so it would be waiting for him. For a while, he was stationed at Fort Knox in the PA National Guard for the Korean War. Having a car, he volunteered to car-pool several fellow Guardsman back and forth to KY when they got leave. Many of the drives, down country roads back then were all-nighters to max free time, and they took turns driving through the nights. On one such drive back to Johnstown, the driver fell asleep at the wheel, ran off the road, and rolled the car down a hillside. Fortunately the men were only bruised up, but the car was destroyed.
From Curt Schmidt about his father and his family.
My father replaced it with a 1952 Nash Rambler. Here it is parked in front of Bob and Olga Marshall's house. As cars got bigger in the 1950's, parking on the narrow Adleman Alley that was paved and renamed Bank St., became almost impossible as two cars could barely pass and delivery or service trucks had no chance if a car was parked. We usually parked on Cliff St., where I learned the "PA Trick" of always setting the hand break and turning the front wheels toward the curb.
Most all of the houses on Bank St. did not have car garages except for the west end of Bank St., and a few multi-car garages on the east end of Bank St. toward Arthur which people rented out. They were old time garages, and one had to back the cars out first to be able to open the passenger side doors to get in.
The Johnstown dealership gave me a metal coin bank of the Nash. It was my toy, and got well used. My father painted it twice, once green and then black.
From Curt Schmidt about his father and his family.
My Father
Staff Sgt. Leo Diehl USAAF 1940 to 1945
15th Army Air Corps, 2nd Bomber Group, 5th Wing, 97th Bombardment Group B17 Bombers.
Bomber Ground Crews
Campaigns :Tunisa/ Tunis, Sicily, Naples-Foggi
SUBMITTED BY GEORGE DIEHL AND DON DIEHL.
DAUGHTER JACKIE DIEHL IS DECEASED.
ROBERT LEE HARBAUGH WITH HIS MOTHER MARY MCKEE HARBAUGH
ROBERT LEE HARBAUGH WITH HIS MOTHER MARY MCKEE HARBAUGH
MATERIAL SUBMITTED BY HIS DAUGHTER, MARDELL HARBAUGH ANDERSON HAMMOND HUSS
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Robert L Harbaugh
Race: White
Marital: Status Married
Rank: Private
Birth Year: 1915
Nativity State or Country: Pennsylvania
Citizenship: Citizen
Residence: Cambria, Pennsylvania
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation:
Skilled occupations in the manufacture of miscellaneous products
Enlistment Date: 10 Jul 1943
Enlistment Place: Altoona, Pennsylvania
Service Number: 33762801
Branch: No branch assignment
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Walter Lee Clawson
Only days before the assassination, JFK was at MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida and I was honored to be the security guard for Air Force One. That's me with White hat, dress blues.
VET JAMES REESEY
Air Force! I wish I’d have stayed in. They were good years.
Robert “Bob” Keim, Air Force Division of Army (Air Force later became separate) World War I.
My youngest brother, Steven Bixel. We grew up on Lina Street in Dale Terrace, across from Garden Terrace Apartments. Steve retired as Chief Master Sergeant USAF, 28 years of service. Many deployments worldwide and retired out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, Box Elder, South Dakota in 2017. 1985 Ferndale graduate. I’m one proud big sister! Thank you to all who served! Submitted by Kristen Bixel
JOHN RHEEL SR.
Served in Air Force from January 63 to August 67. Received training at Electrician Tech School Wichita Falls, Texas. While there also went to pole climbing school. Then went to Loring AFB , Maine and all the wiring was underground . Then went to Tachikawa Japan. While there spent 90 days TDY on Iwo Jima.
KENNETH MEYERS
Served in Air Force, started July 1955, Sampson AF Base, then to Texas, then to Miyako Jima Air Station, small island off of Okinawa.m, then back to Texas, Discharged in 1967.
CHARLES EDWARD MANDA (09 Jun 1925 - 07 Mar 2015)
CHARLES EDWARD MANDA (09 Jun 1925 - 07 Mar 2015)
Served in the U.S. Navy in Washington D.C. as an honor guard for President Franklin Roosevelt. He graduated from Johnstown High School and attended the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He was employed throughout his life at Bigler Ford, Thackray Supply, and Penn News. In his "retirement years" he workd at General Telephone Co. and Sears. He lived on Clark Street in Dale and raised seven children. He was married to Anna Elizabeth Pentrack for 64 years.
-Submitted by Margaret Manda Grimm, Daughter.
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