Dolphus Dale Caton was born May 8, 1918 in Charleston, Franklin Co., Ar. to Jasper Dolphus & Della Dorrit Donnohue Caton. Dolphus's 1st marriage was to Margaret Rosanna Patton in Sebastian Co., Ar. on February 20, 1946. Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio..... Margaret Caton "was pronounced dead at Elyria Memorial Hospital Saturday afternoon. The death was ruled a suicide by the Lorain County coroner's office. Born in Scranton, Ark., Oct. 3, 1920, she was an Elyria resident the past five years." She was born in 1920. On the Sebastian Co., Ar 1950 he is married to a second wife Helen Louise Darger Sesock with a child born in 1947. I have found no record for this marriage. Dolphus enlisted in the Marines December 27, 1941 and served until January 16, 1946. The story of his time in the military is below in his obit. Don't miss the poem he wrote about his time in service at the bottom of this page. On June 6, 1936, he was sworn into Troop B of the 2nd Calvary Regiment of the U.S. Horse Calvary at Fort Riley, Kan., where he served a three-year enlistment. In the years prior to American entry into the Second World War, the 2nd Cavalry was garrisoned at Fort Riley, Kansas from 1919-1939. They performed their peacetime duties as a school training regiment for the Cavalry School. At Fort Riley, the regiment was equipped with its first armored cars in 1936, the year they celebrated their centennial, marking 100 years of proud national service. In 1938, the 1st Armored Regiment and the 13th Armored Regiment joined the 2nd Cavalry for maneuvers at Fort Riley, to practice and develop combined arms tactics. These maneuvers combined infantry, cavalry, armored, artillery, and aviation units. Nazi Germany's Invasion of Poland in 1939 forced American strategists to focus on building up the Army's armored capabilities, and the Attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the US into the war. On 15 July 1942, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment was inactivated, and all the troops and equipment were transferred to the newly formed 2nd Armored Regiment, 9th Armored Division. Name: Dolphus D Caton Rank: Private Muster Date: Oct 1944 Station: Headquarters and Service Company, Second Separate Engineer Battalion, V Amphibious Corps, In The Field The V Amphibious Corps (VAC) was a formation of the United States Marine Corps which was composed of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions in World War II. The three divisions were the amphibious landing force for the United States Fifth Fleet with two goals, removal of Japanese forces from islands so U.S. Seabees could build advance bases to project US power. In doing this VAC was notably involved in the battles for Tarawa, Saipan, and Iwo Jima. V Amphibious Corps was commanded by General Holland 'Howlin Mad' Smith followed by General Harry Schmidt. Dolphus Dale Caton passed away April 15, 2003 at Van Buren, Crawford Co., Ar. His burial was in Forest Park Cemetery, Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ft Smith Times Newspaper Dolphus Dale Caton, 84, of Van Buren died Tuesday, April 15, 2003, in a local hospital. He was born May 8, 1918. He was an Old Pony Solider. On June 6, 1936, he was sworn into Troop B of the 2nd Calvary Regiment of the U.S. Horse Calvary at Fort Riley, Kan., where he served a three-year enlistment. On Dec. 27, 1941, he was sworn into the Marine Corps and assigned to the 15th Provsignal Company in Quantico, Va., where they trained OCS and ROC candidates in the Marine Corps schools. In October 1943, he was shipped to the South Pacific, where he joined his outfit at Guadal Canal. In July 1944, they went to Saipan, Guam, on his first campaign. Feb. 19, 1945, they hit Iwo Jima. In spring 1956, he joined the NRA. In 1966, he took an examination and became a certified rifle instructor, a certified pistol instructor and a certified shot gun instructor. He used these to teach gun safety and marksmanship to the Boys Scouts and to adults in different gun clubs. He received an award from the NRA by being nominated to its Legion of Honor. He was an Endowment member, Patron member and member of James Madison Brigade. He was also awarded the National Patriot Medal. On May 8, 2001, he became an NRA Golden Eagle and attained VIP status. Rosary will be 7 p.m. Sunday at Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren. Mass will be 10 a.m. Monday at St. Michael's Catholic Church with burial at Forest Park Cemetery in Fort Smith. He is survived by five daughters, Patricia Willis of Cleveland, Barbara Bauer of San Diego, Beverly Moser of Glenmont, N.Y., Diana Allen of Auburn, Wash., and Catherine McNally of Roland; a sister, Enid Hine of Charlottesville, N.C.; and eight grandchildren, Brian, Breanna, Ian, Holly, Dane, Ethan, Dennis and Sean. Pallbearers will be Tim and Tom McNally, Hank Nicko, David Horton, David Stults and Art Gramlich. Posted 15 Sep 2017 by EducatedGuessing Dale was the first gunner in troup B of the 6th US Calvary. He carried his machine gun on a mule. He called himself a "Pony Soldier". He said that these were the best three years of his life. Dale asked me to pass on this poem that he wrote about his service: ODE TO AN UNNAMED CAVALRY CAPTAIN By: Dolphus "Dale" Caton, 1918-2003 I was stationed at Ft. Riley So many years ago, But the momories that I recall Still bring a pleasant glow. The year was thirty-seven The sky was azure-blue, It was a rare day in September. After chow, I checked the bulletin board, For orders from the top. This time I caught a jump detail Instead of stable cop. I left ol'Troop B barracks It was a good day for a stroll, Across the lower parade grounds To the second cavalry bowl. I looked down at the jump I'd caught With sides so straight and trim It was 10 feet, by 6 feet, by three, With water to the brim. In front of this water jump, The kind some horseman dread, Was a five-foot brush jump, And completed by a three bar spread. When all riders had cleared my jump, With more jumps still ahead, I went over to the jump And removed the three bar spead. Again all riders cleared my post, So I removed the ol'brush jump. They knew they had one more round, To put them over the hump. Now enter our Captain, Approaching clippity-clop When his horse came near the water hole He came to a sliding stop! Our Captain didn's use his legs He lost his seat instead Our hero then somersaulted Right over the horse's head. And then it happened As now and then occurs, Our Captain gave a yelp He'd landed sitting on his spurs. The bowl now rocked with laughter. It was coming for his peers. Alas, no dignity four our hero In water up to his ears. I glanced over at the horse Still standing in his place, I declare, I do believe, There was a smile upon his face. Our Captain rose and grabbled the reins And turned his horse around Water spurted from his boots As each foot stomped the ground. For the winter's Kansas City The top three in their class, If here they were the winners The rest would let them pass. On to Madison Square Gardens And if there they pass the test, They would bow to no one For they knew they were the best. Let's hope now that our Captain From life did wisdon gleam, E're he made that final jump To land on Fiddler's Green.