Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dale Dallman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dale, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
I was a rebel. A nice judge in Minot, North Dakota “”suggested”” my self and several others join the Marines. The other choices weren’t attractive! The Marines made me a whole different person. I learned to “improvise, adapt, overcome”. They trained me to be an Alpha Male. My entire life was successful because of that.
It taught me that everything in life is possible. I went from a Security Guard in a Casino to Manager, from a road salesman for a drug company to area manager, from a salesman at a huge RV Center, to manager!
It taught me to think for myself. It taught me to not accept failure as an option. I started writing in Bootcamp and now it is a life long dream come true with this book “LETTERS FROM A WARRIOR, P.S., Mom, I love you and two more that are at the publishers!
Dale, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into writing in Marine Corps Bootcamp! I kept a journal that was turned into letters. This was 1960. Those letters were lost until 2011, when Minot, North Dakota flooded and my folks home was destroyed. It actually washed away. I went into the yard after the water subsided and found an old trunk that had floated into a tree! It contained the letters to my Mom, from Bootcamp. These letters are the base of the new book.
I took many jobs in life to pay the bills, but always wrote. I would do opinion pages in Seattle when I was there! I did articles in as many newspapers as would have me! I taught night classes at a College in Billings, Montana, that centered aroung my first masterpiece “”HOW TO HOLD A GARAGE SALE””.
The problem (if you want to call it that) is–I write from the heart and life experience. The book “LETTERS FROM A WARRIOR’ gets mature and listed as 18 year and older! I guess thats the Marine in me!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal in writing!!!!–Well, this new book “LETTERS FROM A WARRION, P.S. Mom, I love you–is dedicated to every mother who received a folded flag back, instead of her son or daughter. This is a book that will help.
I am not in this to make friends or money! I write to get to your inner self. I want to encourage you thru writing to strike out for the top hanging fruit. I want to encourage the readers to open avenues in their life that they thought impossible. Don’t be the sheep, be the watch dog.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Life is very fragile! It slams you when you least expect it. I got out of the Marines when the Vietnam war wasn’t popular. I got spit on at the Airport in San Francisco. I was not suitable to join society. This caused me to get lost in the bottle. I haunted Haight Ashberry and this caused my Alpha male personality to terrorize the hippies.
I came out of that fog and went to college in Wyoming. I started and stopped a dozen jobs in life. I didn’t realize that my life was affected by PTSD. This was pointed out by a good doctor with the VA just a couple years ago!
I went thru several wives and had a lot of children. I didn’t know what the problem was. I drank, chased and fought the things that were best!
A shrink got me started on actually putting my writing into books! I sat with two of my Marine buddies as they died. Their death bed stories we recounted helped! I really got caught up in it and now I am a true worthy person to myself. I’m sure my erratic trial has left some that would disagree!! I can’t go back and fix the hurt I left, but now, I can build the future!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.Dallman Production.com
- Facebook: Dallman Productions 2024
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Cassandra Dallman Photography