Dale worked for HJ Heinz Company as a salesman from 1957 until his retirement in 1982.  After retiring, Dale and Vi became snowbirds, spending the winter months in Arizona to be near their children. The rest of the year, they lived in a home on a lake near Ashland, NE.  Eventually, they moved full-time to Arizona.

Dale loved football, and he never missed a Nebraska football game, either in person, on television, or on the radio.  He could talk Nebraska football year-round.  On game days, he would wear his red ultrasuede sport coat.  After moving to the warm Arizona climate, the red sport coat came out at Christmas.

Dale retained his mental faculties to the end of his life.  He could remember details long forgotten by others.  He was unpretentious, and lived his life with pride and dignity.  Independent till the end, he lived alone in his Scottsdale condominium, and drove himself to breakfast every morning with his friends.  He truly lived it "His Way."

Dale and Vi had three children, Jim born in 1950; Janet born in 1954; and, Rich born in 1957.  He was a devoted father and gave his kids the childhood experiences he never had. Dale & Vi both saw to it that their kids went to good schools, took music lessons, played sports, went to dances, joined clubs and participated in everything that constituted a good upbringing.

Dale and Vi also made time to have a rich social life. They were active members of the First Presbyterian Church, the Safari Dance Club, two bridge clubs, a dinner club, and many neighborhood and group parties.  They enjoyed getting dressed up to go dancing.  Dale was a member of the Lincoln Jaycees and later Jaycee Ex where he met many, many people. Over the years, Dale kept in touch with their many friends. As the circle grew smaller over time, he still made regular phone calls to friends who were still alive.  Dale & Vi really had friends for life.

Dale proudly served as Scout Master for Lincoln Boy Scout Troop 43 from 1962-66.  The troop had about forty boys, and Dale took a personal interest in every one of them.  He kept them busy with weekly meetings, regular camping trips, and many other activities.  Every summer the Troop spent a week at the Boy Scout Camp near Humboldt, NE.  The Troop also went on extended camping trips to Iowa and Colorado.

During the summer Dale would take the family on weekend getaways to a cabin built by his brother-in-law, Oscar, near Aurora, NE.  The family loved swimming, fishing, hiking, canoeing and sailing at the lake.  They all bunked together in the two room cabin. Once a great fishing lake, Dale taught all kids how to fish and everyone had to learn how to bait a hook.

The family loved spending time together, and Dale always made ordinary things fun for his kids.  If the family was watching television, Dale would make popcorn or ice cream floats.  One winter he hosed down the backyard and made it into an ice skating rink.  On weekends he organized game night where the family played board games until bedtime.The finshed basement was turned into a game room with a  pool table, shuffle board, pinball machines and even a slot machine.  It was a hit with all the friends of the kids, and Dale's friends as well.  Many a party happened in that game room.  Dale was an endless enthusiast for fun and games. 

Dale returned to Lincoln with the intent of resuming his college education.  However, the war injury to his left arm required more medical attention and sidetracked his educational pursuits.  Fortunately, a young doctor at the local VA hospital was able to help Dale recover most of the functionality in his arm.

In 1946 Dale fell in love with Viola Nielsen, the love of his life.  They were married in the First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 26, 1946. Between 1946 and 1957, Dale worked as the assistant manager of the Cownie-Cadawalder Fur Store in Lincoln.  During this period of time, Dale was active in church and civic activities, where he made many friends. 

In the Spring of 1944, Dale’s division was deployed to England, and designated to be among the first wave to attack Omaha Beach on D-Day.  A few days prior to the invasion, one of the soldiers in Dale’s company contracted the mumps, and the entire company was quarantined for two weeks.  This delay probably spared his life for the first time during the war.

Dale’s company attacked Omaha Beach in late June 1944.  Fighting on the beach was still fierce.  Amid constant German shelling, three out of four soliders in Dale's company were killed within the first two weeks.  Dale was wounded in the attack, but soon returned to the battle to fight with his depleted company. 

Between June 1944, and May 1945, Dale fought his way from Normandy to the Rhine River.  He rose in ranks to Staff Sergeant, Communications Chief, reporting directly to the Captain in command of the company.  He was wounded a second time, but again returned to fight with his troops. For his heroic service, Dale received two Purple Hearts.

Dale fought in all the major battles in northern France.  Dale often said the Battle of the Bulge was the hardest experience of his life.  During the brutal winter of 1944-45, the American Army had to sleep unprotected in the woods during the German offensive.  Dale didn’t sleep for three months in order to prevent frost bite at night.  Dale’s service record shows that when he was honorably discharged at the end of the war in 1945 he weighed just 117 lbs.

After graduating from high school in 1939, Dale moved to Lincoln and lived with his aunt and uncle.  He attended the University of Nebraska part-time, and worked as a clerk in a local business. He was also a self-employed handyman. Dale crossed paths with his future wife, Viola, once on a double date when they shared an umbrella on a rainy night.

When the United States declared war in December 1941, Dale enlisted in the Army.  He asked to be assigned to the Army Air Corps, but was disqualified as a pilot because of color blindness.  The Army commissioned Dale to the infantry, and assigned him to guard the West Coast around San Simeon.  Dale's military days in California were a vacation compared to what he later experienced in Europe.

Dale Nearhood was born to Anna Glebe Nearhood and George Nearhood in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1920. He had two older brothers, Clint and Don. George was the manager of the Lincoln Hotel, the largest hotel in Lincoln.  After Dale was born, Anna told George "the city was no place to raise children."  Urged on by Anna, George bought a farm in Inland, Nebraska (near Hastings). This decision soon resulted in many hardships for the Nearhood family. 

Dale went to school in a one-room schoolhouse near his farm. He loved his teacher, but his education was limited. He was held back one year because there were no other students in his grade. George wasn't the best farmer.  The Depression hit hard and the bank repossessed his farm. George cried when he told the family they had lost the farm.  The family moved to another farm they rented near Plattsmouth.  The stress proved too much for George and he died when Dale was twelve. George's passing meant Dale and his two brothers had to run the farm and care for their mother. 

Dale worked on the farm and held other jobs on the side to help his family.  Often, all they had for dinner was "ribbel soup" a simple mixture of potatoes and milk.  Dale started his day before dawn delivering papers, did his chores on the farm, went to school, and then worked at night at the local theater popping corn.  Sometimes all he had for dinner was popcorn.  He had no time for sports or extracurricular activities. He maintained this schedule until he graduated from high school and moved off the farm.