Seaman 2nd Class Jack Dorice Dale USMM

Jack Dorice Dale was born in Hobbs NM on May 11, 1923 to Mr. and Mrs. JM Dale. He graduated from Hobbs HS and attended NMAMC for the 1941 fall semester. Unique to the collection of Miss Era Rentfrow’s boys, Jack Dale did not die during the war; rather he died as a result of injuries sustained in a private airplane crash in San Diego CA in February 1946. Perhaps it was his service in the US Merchant Marine that called Miss Rentfrow to action in including him among these other men. Recorded in her notes is the following information. Jack dale served in the North Atlantic from December 1943 to July 1945. In 1944 he survived the sinking of his merchant ship from a German U Boat attack. In August 1945 his ship was sent to Okinawa and he was present there at the end of the war after having lost another ship from beneath him as a result of a typhoon. Having survived that sinking he was home on survivor leave at the time of his death in the private plane accident. He was 22 years old at the time of his death and is buried in Prairie Haven Cemetery in Hobbs NM.