Joseph David ‘Dave’ Macklin was born on Christmas Eve 1931 in Colon, Panama Canal Zone, to Charles ‘Buddy’ and Evelyn Macklin. Dave, the son of a Word War II naval officer, represented the sixth generation of continuous military service to the United States, stemming from the Revolutionary War.

Dave grew up in Coronado, CA, while his father fought in the Pacific theater as a submarine commander. At the end of World War II, Dave attended the Army and Navy Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Carlsbad, CA. It is on the coast, about 36 miles north of San Diego. In 1948 he moved to Norfolk, VA, where he graduated from Granby High School. Dave spent the following year at an Army preparatory school. He received an appointment to West Point from Washington Representative Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson.

At West Point Dave realized there were better things in life than to see the world from the bridge of a ship. When away from challenging academics, he was known in Cadet Company G-1 for his sense of humor. Dave had a great interest in sports, pistol shooting, and weight lifting. He was a valued and proud member of the Goat Football Team in 1953.

1953 Goat Football Team (Dave Macklin: 5th from right, front row)

Dave graduated from West Point, was commissioned in the Infantry, and married his high school sweetheart Patricia ‘Patsy’ Nieman in 1954. His first troop assignment was the 9th Infantry Regiment, Fort Lewis, WA, where Dave and Patsy had their first child, Pauline Marie.

Patsy and Dave, summer of 1953, on beaches of Coronado Island, CA

(next to the famous Hotel Del Coronado)

His next assignment was to Fairbanks, Alaska with the 9th Infantry Regiment (Ski Troops). For three years at Ladd Air Force Base, he honed his arctic skills as a Weapons Platoon Leader, Assistant Battalion S-3 and Assistant Brigade S-3. Two children, Joe Jr. and Mike, were born in Alaska.

In 1960 Dave graduated from Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Fort Benning, GA, where their fourth child, Betsy, was born. Dave then moved to Lubbock, TX, where he taught in ROTC at Texas Tech University. Their fifth child, Chuck, was born in Lubbock, TX.

In December 1961 Dave reported to Saigon, Vietnam as a counter-insurgency expert and advisor to the Civil Guard and Self Defense Corps, Republic of Vietnam. In 1963 he commanded a Basic Combat Training Company and later served as the S-3, Plans Officer, Fort Jackson, SC. In 1965 Dave moved his family to Oslo, Norway, where he was a NATO planner and nuclear weapons advisor to the Norwegian military. Following his NATO tour, Dave graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College. He then served from 1969 to 1970 as the G-4 of the 2nd Infantry Division and commanded a battalion in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, Korea.

In 1970 Dave was an intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency and was a primary briefer for President Richard Nixon and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird at the Alternate National Military Command Center, Fort Ritchie, MD. He continued working for Defense Intelligence at the Pentagon and became an expert on force deployment planning for the European theater. Dave was promoted to colonel and spent his final tour of duty at the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, as a Plans Officer for General Alexander Haig.

Retirement: Dave receiving the Legion of Merit from GEN “Dutch” Huyser, Deputy CINCEUR

Dave retired in April 1978. During his service he received the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, and multiple campaign and expeditionary awards. After retiring from the military, Dave had a successful second career with Vinnell Corporation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he was responsible for a multinational work force of 1,000 people.

In 1987 Dave and Patsy moved to Ferndale, WA, where they were active in the community with memberships in the American Red Cross, Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Dave devoted much of his retirement to being a math tutor in the Ferndale School District and as an assistant football coach at Bellingham and Squalicum high schools. Over the years Dave built an extensive stamp collection which he later donated to the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, CA.

When Dave Macklin reported to the U.S. Military Academy in July 1950, it was the very fulfillment of all of his boyhood hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since he took the oath on the Plain at West Point, and his hopes and dreams live on with those he held closest. Dave is survived by five children, eleven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Of his children: Pauline attended the University of Maryland and lives with her husband, Dennis, in Oakland, CA; Joe graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1979, served in the Air Force for 26 years and retired to Great Falls, MT, with his wife, Karen; Mike has an associate’s degree from Southwestern College and is an electronics specialist for LHV Power Corporation in San Diego, CA, where he and his wife, Lynn, raised five children; Betsy and her husband, Bob, reside in Ferndale, WA, where Betsy is a preschool teacher, and she and her daughters were primarily responsible for taking care of Dave as he struggled with health issues; and Chuck earned an associate’s degree from Southwestern College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College. Chuck is a police commander in Mukilteo, WA, and lives north of Seattle with his wife, Denise, and their daughter.

Dave was preceded in death by his wife, Patsy, in 1994. He was greatly loved by his family and many friends. He is deeply missed and fondly remembered.

— Prepared by his son Joe Macklin
Assisted by Bill Epling