A Bible not a Gun
by Monica Kleyman
Dale Goetz
February 24, 1967-August 30, 2010
Dale Goetz was born on February 24, 1967 to Hope and Dale H. Goetz.[1] Dale had two sisters named Ann and Kim.[2] Hope Goetz was an Elbert County Commissioner in eastern Colorado. She took the place of her husband after he died.[3] Dale’s father had also been in the U.S. Navy, meaning that Dale had come from a military family.[4] Dale grew up in Hood River, Oregon. He was an athlete and worked at a dairy processing plant.[5] In 1986, Dale graduated from a small private school called Horizon Christian School. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Air Force, but he also realized that he wanted to go to Bible College. In 1995, he graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Watertown, Wisconsin with a Bachelor’s degree in Bible Studies. His wife Christy also attended Maranatha Baptist Bible College, which is where they met. Dale then went on to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis in 2000.[6]
Dale worked as a pastor at a Baptist Church in White, South Dakota, but he realized he had more of a calling in life than being a small rural town pastor. Dale had talked to a Navy Chaplain and had been intrigued with the opportunities that a military chaplain could have. Dale then told his wife that he wanted to become an Army Chaplain. Christy was afraid that he would be killed with the war raging in Iraq, but Dale signed up to become a Chaplain in 2004.
Once Dale had been commissioned as a Chaplain in the Army in 2004, he had been placed as a member of the 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colorado.[7] Dale then served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 in his first deployment. Dale then served in Okinawa, Japan from 2006 to 2009. Dale and Christy moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2010, where they bought their first house.[8]
The idea of a chaplain has been traced all the way back to the Torah. In the United States, they can be traced back to the Revolutionary War. The history of military chaplains changed over time. Before WWII, chaplains were responsible for making sure there was no gambling or drinking in a time of war. After WWII, chaplains developed more of a role of consolidation for soldiers. Chaplains were even drafted in WWII, since there was such a huge need for them. For the modern conflicts in the Middle East, chaplains have been there for marriage advice, PTSD help, and have prayed with their soldiers. Chaplains go to soldiers in a time of conflict and they don’t carry around weapons like other soldiers in combat zones.[9]
Dale volunteered to go to Afghanistan even though he had already served on a tour in Iraq. He wanted to go console soldiers and be there for them in a war zone. He knew soldiers who had been deployed three or four times, while he had only been deployed twice and he felt like it was his mission to be deployed again.[10] Dale was killed in the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan on August 30th, 2010. He died when a roadside bomb had detonated when he was on his way to console soldiers. The bomb killed him and four other soldiers. When it came to Dale’s opinion on war, his wife Christie stated that “He believed in self-defense but also in praying for his enemies.”[11]
When Hope Goetz heard that her son had been killed, she thought she was having a heart attack and paramedics were called. It turned out she was just having heartbreak from the news about her son. Hope and Dale’s sister Kim went to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to collect Dale’s body. Before Dale was deployed, he told his wife that he wanted to be buried in the same cemetery as his father. Now both Dale H. Goetz and his son are interred in Ft. Logan National Cemetery.[12]
Dale had been the first Army Chaplain who had been Killed in Action since the Vietnam War.[13] He was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal, a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star Medal, and three Army Commendation Medals during his military career.[14] Despite all his honors, Dale had been the type of soldier who had rather carried a bible than a gun.[15] Dale had been deployed for only less than a month when he was killed, but he selflessly volunteered to console and help others.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Moore, Rhonda. "Let There Be Hope: Republican Party Appoints Hope Goetz Commissioner in District 2." Colorado Community Media. January 19, 2007.
[2] Dieterle, Ashley. "Chaplain Killed While Serving His Soldiers." Colorado Community Media. September 20, 2010.
[3] “Army: Chaplain Is 1st Killed In Action Since '70.” 7NEWS, 2 Sept. 2010. Moore, Rhonda. "Let There Be Hope: Republican Party Appoints Hope Goetz Commissioner in District 2." Colorado Community Media. January 19, 2007.
[4] "Today's Broadcast." Appropriate Age for Spanking. http://drjamesdobson.org/broadcasts/transcript/2018/one-woman's-journey-of-grief-and-hope-part-1.
[5] “Dale Allen Goetz.” Grand Rapids Herald-Review, September 7, 2010.
[6] Sullivan, Julie. "Slain Chaplain Found His Faith in Oregon." OregonLive.com. September 2, 2010.
[7] @MarkThompson_DC, Mark Thompson. “Army Chaplain Dale Goetz, RIP.” Time, September 3, 2010
[8] Zucchino, David. “A Chaplain's Ultimate Sacrifice for God and Country.” Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2010.
[9] “Military Chaplains: a Rich History of More than Just Blessing the Cannons.” The Christian Science Monitor, October 30, 2007.
[10] Zucchino, David. “A Chaplain's Ultimate Sacrifice for God and Country.” Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2010.
[11] @MarkThompson_DC, Mark Thompson. “Army Chaplain Dale Goetz, RIP.” Time, September 3, 2010
[12] Dieterle, Ashley. "Chaplain Killed While Serving His Soldiers." Colorado Community Media. September 20, 2010.
[13] Zucchino, David. “A Chaplain's Ultimate Sacrifice for God and Country.” Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2010.
[14] Facebook.com. (2018). Army Chaplin Captain Dale Allen Goetz.
[15] Hubbard, Jeremy. "Colorado Springs Mom Remembers Husband, Celebrates New Family on Memorial Day." FOX31 Denver. June 1, 2013.
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