Mathew Dale Dallas

Major Mathew Dale Dallas was born 9 March 1938 in Geary, OK. A 1956 graduate of Northwest Classen High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving 3 years. After graduating from Ft. Sill Field Artillery Officer Candidate School in June 1961 and completing flight training at Ft. Rucker in March 1962, he went to Germany as a UH-1B instructor pilot and an assistant Operations Officer from 1962 to 1965. After completing the Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to Ft. Lewis as a Troop Commander, training for deployment to Southeast Asia.

With Troop D, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st ID, Dallas deployed to Vietnam in March 1966 as a UH-1 pilot, logging 614 combat hours and earning 20 Air Medals. On 3 May 1966, on an extraction mission, Dallas rescued a patrol with casualties in an unsecured LZ as they were attacked by a numerically superior Viet Cong enemy. On 10 November 1966, responding to a downed aircraft call, his crew provided covering fire while Dallas expertly landed in a narrow jungle clearing, enabling the Assistant Division Commander and staff to board his now overloaded aircraft for a successful rescue. For his heroism, Dallas was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

While transporting a fire team on 29 January 1967, Dallas identified two Viet Cong soldiers moving on the road below. Under enemy fire, he landed and directed his crew and fire team in a counterattack, killing several and routing the remaining enemy. Although seriously wounded, Dallas piloted his damaged aircraft to a safe LZ. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart. After many months of rehabilitation, he was medically retired in February 1970.

After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1972, Dallas partnered with Onis Miller to form Frontier Express, Inc., a successful freight operations company in 1980. He retired in 2015 and died on 9 February 2018. Dallas is buried at the Ft. Sill National Cemetery.