Dale Walter Doss,CAPT, USN retired

Dale W. Doss (CAPT, USN retired) completed his final mission and went home to heaven on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019. He was 83 years old. CAPT Doss was born in Birmingham, AL and attended St. Andrews - Sewanee School in Sewanee, TN. Upon graduating from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in 1958, he entered the U.S. Navy. He attended Basic Naval Aviation Observer School and Air Navigation School, followed by service as a transport navigator with VR-3 of the Military Air Transport Service at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. His next assignment was as an instructor in the Basic Naval Aviation Observer School and he then attended RA-5C Vigilante replacement air group training with RVAH-3 at NAS Sanford, Florida, and A-6 Intruder bombardier/navigator training with VA-42 at NAS Oceana, Virginia. LCDR Doss was serving as an A-6A bombardier/navigator with VA-35 at NAS Oceana and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) in the Gulf of Tonkin when he was forced to eject over North Vietnam on his 54th mission. He was taken Prisoner of War on March 17, 1968 (his son Patrick’s birthday). After spending 1,824 days in captivity, he was released during Operation Homecoming on March 14, 1973 and returned on American soil on March 17, 1973. CDR Doss was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries, and then served as Special Assistant to the Commander of Navy Recruiting Area III. He attended Navy Recruiting School at NAS Pensacola, Florida and then served as Chief Staff Officer of Navy Recruiting Area I. His next assignment was as Commanding Officer of Navy Recruiting District Montgomery, Alabama, followed by service as Commanding Officer of Navy Recruiting District Miami, Florida. CAPT Doss' final assignment was as Deputy Inspector General with the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command Inspector General's Office at NTC Orlando, Florida until his retirement from the Navy on March 1, 1983. Continuing his love of serving, CAPT Doss became the Director of Veteran Services for Leon County, FL for 19 years. His service continued throughout the community volunteering on the Board of Directors for the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Quarterback Club, and President of the Tallahassee Lions Club. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge #937, an FSU Booster, and a member of the Springtime Tallahassee Antebellum Crew. He is survived by his wife of twenty eight years, Stephany Doss of Tallahassee, FL, his son and daughter-in-law, Patrick and Ruth Lemieux of Crestview, FL and his daughter and son-in-law, Martha and Tom Vance of Cape Canaveral, FL., plus six granddaughters and six great grandchildren. His youngest son, Aaron passed away in 2015. A service will be held, Monday, December 16th at 12:00 pm at Bevis Funeral Home, 200 John Knox Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32303. A graveside service with military honors will be held at 2:00, Culley’s Meadowood Memorial Park, 700 Timberlane Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32312. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in his honor be made to St. Andrews Sewanee School, Sewanee, TN https://www.sasweb.org/give/make-a-gift . Susie Mozolic of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements.

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Dale Walter Doss,CAPT, USN retired

January 4, 1936 - December 11, 2019