“David J. Mac Aulay was one of the finest officers and human beings I have ever known.” Classmates, commanders, co-workers, and friends echoed this comment by classmate Roger Ryan. David earned this love and respect by setting an outstanding example of what a man should be, as an officer, leader, and friend. He was a model of efficiency and effectiveness, was loyal and supportive to comrades, friends, and family alike, and shared a superlative and loving relationship with his wife and children.
Born in Grand Rapids, MI, Dave lived there until his graduation from Creston High School, where an exceptional JROTC sergeant sparked his interest in West Point. His appointment to the Academy was by Michigan Representative and future President Gerald R. Ford. He entered the Corps of Cadets in July 1956, despite the fact that he was still recuperating from meningitis, and somehow survived the rigors of Beast Barracks without complaint. During that year, no one knew how extraordinarily weak he had been.
Early on at the Academy, his proficiency in applied technical theory became clear as he built countless stereo sets for himself and his classmates, his inclination towards design and construction arising from his childhood passion for building model airplanes and ships. These experiences eventually led to his preference for a career in engineering, and later still to his construction of a complicated train set, ostensibly for the children but actually for his own amusement. He was an avid participant in the Pistol and Rifle Clubs. He could fix anything.
Upon graduation in 1960 Dave chose the Corps of Engineers. Following the Basic Course and Airborne and Ranger School, his first assignment was with the 307th Engineer Battalion (82nd Airborne Division) at Ft. Bragg (CM), where he was stationed when former roommate Ned Ord introduced him to his starry-eyed and adoring wife-to-be Toni Cesarano. Following that, he went to the 809th Engineer Construction Battalion in Thailand, where he built the best road in the country (CM). When Toni drove it from one end to the other 24 years later, it was still free of potholes (unlike any other Thai road), testifying to the skill and dedication of its builders.
He received his MSCE from Oklahoma State University in 1965 and married Toni the same year. The Army then randomly chose Dortmund, Germany, and sent Dave and Toni to live with the British Army so Dave could become Resident Engineer, HQ USAREUR, overseeing tropospheric scatter sites all over Germany and the Benelux countries (CM). With his shy smile and extreme competence, he was the quintessential unofficial ambassador for the United States. Everyone loved him. When that tour was curtailed, he spent a year in Vietnam (BSM), sleeping under the betting windows at the Saigon racetrack during the Tet Offensive and in a hotel the rest of the year. What a crazy war! Next came CGSC at Ft. Leavenworth, where daughter Darrie (Darrell Antoinette) was born in 1970.
Following a Pentagon assignment with ODCSPER from 1970 to 1974 (MSM), the pinnacle of which was the birth of son Christopher Michael in 1972, the family moved to Korea where Dave served with HQ, 44th Engineer Construction Battalion (MSM). They then continued on to Saudi Arabia for a two-year stint, first in Tabuk and then in Jidda, where Dave was Deputy District Engineer and oversaw the beginning of construction of the Port of Jidda (MSM). Returning stateside in 1977, Dave took command of the 76th Engineer Combat Battalion at Ft. Meade (MSM), where, contrary to his somewhat introverted personality, he drove around post in a red and white VW Beetle with Engineer castles on the doors. He then returned to the Pentagon in 1979 to the OIG and was the absolute model of quiet efficiency—the perfect man for an extremely sensitive job (MSM). In 1981, Dave attended ICAF at Ft. McNair.
David always possessed a keen dry wit and a self-deprecating sense of humor that shined in small groups. He would deadpan, in monotone, incidents that highlighted the ridiculous aspects of Army life until his listeners’ sides hurt from laughing. An inveterate pipe smoker, he would tell, for example, about falling out of a pontoon boat on the Accokeek and emerging from the water with his pipe still firmly clenched in his teeth.
His final assignment was in 1982 with the Office of the Chief of Engineers as Assistant Director, Civil Works. He had received orders to become Louisville District Engineer, but in 1983 he developed Hodgkin’s disease and could not accept command. He was medically retired in April 1984, and died two weeks later on May 10, 1984, as his children were becoming teenagers. A huge gathering of friends, acquaintances, and even his NIH nurses attended his funeral. On Dave’s final OER, Brigadier General Charles E. Edgar III wrote, “Dave clearly had General Officer potential. Had he been able to assume the command for which he had been slated, I believe he would have performed superbly and been selected for flag rank…His example remains as a legacy for us all to emulate.”
David’s spiritual home was clearly always West Point. He lived the motto “Duty, Honor, Country.” In Edgar’s assessment, he was characterized as an outstanding, keenly intelligent officer with courage beyond description, unexcelled moral and character strength, and self-discipline of the highest, impeccable standard. He was the epitome of absolute dedication to the Army and the Nation. He was a devoted father and shared a wonderful life and a loving, happy marriage with Toni. We, his family and friends, will always love, remember and hold him in high esteem as the exemplar we all wish to be. Well Done, David, Be Thou at Peace; we remember thee with joy, pride, and love.
—Toni Mac Aulay & ’60 classmates