By John Harlow
When my editor asked that I write an article about Mr. Pal Dudley, I jumped at the opportunity to tell the story of this World War II era veteran who is well known and loved by our Dillon community.
Mr. Pal Dudley was born Thomas Dudley in January 1924 and, except for his time in the Army, he has always lived in Dillon. He was born in the Carolina Community and now lives on Harlees Bridge Road. At the age of 4 years, he asked to be called Pal because he liked the name of a neighbor who was called Pal.
As America continued to grow its military during World War II, Pal got his draft notice and reported to the Army in 1943 at age 19. He was quickly sent off to basic training and then advanced training ending up assigned to Truck Company at Camp Butler in North Carolina. Although trained and ready to join the fight overseas, the war ended with him still serving stateside. At age 21 and after 18 months in the Army, he was discharged at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, GA. With World War II over in September 1945, Pal was among many soldiers leaving the military and going home.
He arrived back in Dillon in November 1945 and returned to his old job at the Dillon Veneer Plant. In 1970, he was asked to join the Dillon City Police Department where he worked for 14 years first in patrol and later as the officer assigned to the Dillon Hospital. During this time, he also operated a Texaco gas station that was located next to the Pittsburg Paint and Glass store. Pal says that he kept himself busy through the years washing cars, working on cars, and looking for opportunities to do more.
He had an interest in agriculture and farming and decided to attend the Latta Ag School where he studied farming and related subjects. He worked with tobacco crops and was later named Minority Adviser to the Dillon County Ag Board where he served until 1994. Today, he continues his love for agriculture through a small vegetable garden in his back yard. Still the entrepreneur, he regularly loads his vegetables onto his pickup and sells them on the roadside.
Pal had 5 children: Katherine, Thomasina, Thomas Jr., Kevin Wayne, and Wanda. Thomasina passed in 2003. He stays in regular contact with all his children. He was married several times, but they have all now passed.
Pal Dudley is also Deacon Pal Dudley at Friendship Baptist Church located in the Beaufort Quarters area of Dillon. In 1972, Deacon Dudley was one of the church founders and helped lay the church cornerstone. He is the only surviving church founder. Church Pastor Roanell Hough spoke about the faithfulness of Deacon Dudley attending Sunday School and church every Sunday and about his love for the church and for God.
In preparing to write this article, Mr. Thomas Dudley and I made a visit to his church and to Veterans Square in Dillon. Periodically, I would hear Deacon Dudley singing a gospel hymn as we travelled together. At Veterans Square, he reflected upon the names of World War II veterans on the memorial wall. He pointed to several names and told me about those persons. His recollection was strong and he expressed a fondness for each person, but his voice gave away the sadness he felt.
Pal Dudley is the oldest living veteran in Dillon County. He served honorably in the United States Army during World War II and returned to Dillon where he grew his family and continued to contribute through work and through his church. This writer has known Mr. Pal for a number of years by seeing him at different Veterans events in the community. It was last Christmas that we rode together on the Veterans float. I remember visiting him in his home earlier this year as part of the VFW Buddy Check Program. He is such a gentleman. I was concerned about him being 98 and living alone and asked if he had someone who checked on him from time to time. Without skipping a beat, he said, “The Lord checks on me every morning.” His pastor later told me that he checked on him regularly, too. Soldiers from that generation, Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation, are indeed remarkable people and Pal Dudley is a remarkable representative of that greatest generation. He stays busy even at 98. He gets around well, and his mind is sharp. He regularly drives either his SUV or his pickup truck. In trying to set an appointment with him for this article, I learned that he has breakfast every day at 6:30AM and that he is gone by 8AM taking care of business. God bless him – surely He has.
Thank you Mr. Pal for your service during World War II and for your past and continued support of Veterans and Veteran Programs. Thank you for your faithfulness to God. Thank you for being such a good citizen of Dillon these many years and it is hoped that you can remain active in the community for years to come.
