Jack Woodard Dice was a classmate, an H-1 companymate, a plebe-year roommate and a dear friend. The 1960 Howitzer yearbook editor touted him as “an excellent scholar, a superb athlete and a true friend.” This well described him as a West Point cadet and a professional military officer, as well as in his second career in real estate.
As a cadet, Jack stood out as an outstanding example for all associated with him to emulate. He was a model cadet, excelling in “academics,” sports, and “aptitude for the service.”
Near the end of First Class year, we selected our branches and first assignments. Jack and classmate John Gibbs chanted, “Signal Corps and Jersey Shore,” referring to Fort Monmouth, NJ, near the ocean and home of the Signal Corps! Anyway, Jack chose Signal Corps as his branch, which required that he serve two years in a combat arms branch before attending the basic course in the non-combat arms service. He chose Armor. Near the end of his detail in Armor, he liked it so much that he decided to change his branch selection permanently to Armor.
He chose Germany as his first assignment and did remarkedly well, mostly in Cavalry units. Also, he married his German girlfriend, Marga, a beautiful, very intelligent, vivacious young lady who spoke English perfectly. He was devoted to Marga his entire life, and together they raised three lovely children.
The next time I heard from Jack was six years later in 1966 when he was assigned to Vietnam to the First Squadron, Fourth Cavalry (“Quarter Horse”), a unit in the famed and prestigious 1st Infantry Division (“Big Red One”). He commanded a troop for six months and then was transferred to division headquarters, where he was assigned duties as liaison officer to Field Force II. In this very important capacity, he received a Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal. It was at this time he was informed that he would be attending Duke University for a master’s degree in preparation for a follow-on assignment to teach military history at West Point.
In June 1968, Jack and I reported to Duke to begin studies. The course was demanding, and our advisor, the famed historian, Dr. Theodore Ropp, directed our activities, leading us through the maze of requirements and prerequisites. When we finished at Duke, we were well prepared and qualified to teach military history to the cadets at West Point.
Following Duke, we were assigned to attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, also in preparation for our instructor duties. The course was very challenging, but Jack graduated near the top of the 1,400-person class, ranked number 20. He was a brilliant student in all his academic endeavors.
We finally arrived at West Point in June 1970, ready to begin the arduous, but rewarding, task of teaching cadets. Jack was assigned to teach the first section which, required a high degree of knowledge combined with a little humor in order to stay ahead of the very accomplished cadets. Jack consistently displayed both knowledge and humor, which made him a very effective instructor. Because of this demonstrated ability, he was assigned to teach the newly established “honors section” during his last year at the Academy. Jack always managed to make history “come alive” for his students, which was the essential ingredient of his overwhelming success in teaching the “often dry” subject.
We were nearing the end of our three-year tour in the History Department when the promotion list to lieutenant colonel was published. My class was not yet in the zone for promotion as we would have to wait another year to become eligible. However, Jack and a couple other classmates were selected for “below the zone” or early promotion. His unblemished, outstanding record of achievements and reputation for professional excellence definitely rendered him deserving of this high honor. I heartily congratulated him and wished him Godspeed in his future triumphs.
After departing the Academy, I lost contact with the Dice family until, during a reunion, we visited them. Jack was once again at West Point. He was nearing the end of his career. I often wondered why Jack was never selected for general. The only reason I can think of is that he elected to return to West Point rather than accept an assignment to the Pentagon, and that decision sealed his fate. But, in any event, he had a long, distinguished, illustrious and rewarding career of which he can be justifiably proud.
Following retirement from the Army, Jack, Marga and the children settled in a home in Great Falls, VA, where both Jack and Marga, as a team, ultimately obtained their real estate license and established a very successful business. They signed on with RE/MAX and gained a reputation for honesty and integrity in their dealings.
Every October, to mark a successful season in the real estate market, the Dices hosted an October Fest, complete with oom-pah band and the best German bratwurst, sauerkraut, German beer and wine, with all the trimmings, on the planet! We attended many of these and are sorry that they will no longer be staged.
Goodbye old friend, we know that you are in a better place now and no longer suffering from the dreaded disease that plagued you. Let me close with a passage from our “Alma Mater”:
“And when our work is done, Our course on earth is run, May it be said, ‘Well Done; Be Thou at Peace.’”
— Alonzo Coose, classmate and friend