Beaufort’s Chick Dykeman, 84, joined the United States Army ROTC at the University of Iowa in 1957. He rose to be Brigade Commander before graduating in 1961. He completed his training at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Ga., before being assigned as an Infantry Company Commander at Camp Carson, Colo. While there, he was sent on assignments to Fort Lewis (now Joint Base Lewis–McChord), Wash., Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), and Yakama Training Center, Wash. He also qualified as a funeral director and then transferred to the Army Reserves in Waterloo, Iowa, where he served for four years as a Company Commander.
He separated in 1968 to lead a group of funeral homes in Northeast Iowa; he did that for 40 years. He has been the President of the National Funeral Directors Association, the President of the Midwest American National Red Cross, the Fire Chief in Evergreen, Colo., and now is the President of the Salvation Army of the Lowcountry. He and his wife of 47 years, Nancy, sing with the Sea Island Singers. He and Nancy moved to Beaufort in 2013.
Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
