Fort Sheridan Historical Society

Uniform and Training and Appointment Certificates

​Donated by B. Dahl, with the following note:  The enclosed uniform, including cover and boots, was handed down through the family to me. I understand that the uniform was Ernest’s during his service in the Army during WWI. He did not serve overseas. He had spent a good bit of his youth at Fort Sheridan, and apparently was very good with horses and other animals. His service time was, we believe, involved with training the troops who would have managed the animals (horses, mules?) used so frequently at that time to move wagons, stores, ammunition and artillery. I assume that Fort Sheridan was his duty station.On closer examination, the uniform jacket contains some interesting insignia. The shoulders bear what appear to be lieutenant’s bars, although they are a dull grey, rather than the gold and silver that I associate with the ranks of second and first lieutenant. Perhaps the current color is a product of age. The collars bear what looks to be crossed cannons, which I assume indicates artillery (consistent with the family memories of Ernest’s work training hostlers (is that the right word?) for service in WWI). The number 69 appears with the cannons, which I assume is the number of a battalion or regiment in which Ernest might have served. I am a bit confused by the three chevrons on the lower left sleeve. If mounted higher, I would have assumed they indicated a non-commissioned officer (sergeant?). Being lower down, they might have indicated time of service, as is sometimes seen in naval and marine uniforms with which I am more familiar. If you can shed any light on the insignia, I would appreciate it.Ernest, as well as his father Aaron and son Ernest Jr., were all patriots who were proud to have worn the same uniform – that of the United States Army.

Ernest Alfonso Dahl was born on June 12, 1896. According to family lore, the birth took place at Fort Sheridan. His father, Aaron A Dahl, had immigrated to the United State from Sweden in the later years of the 19th century, initially serving in the US Army during the post-Civil War wars with the indigenous tribes of the Great Plains. At some point, he was discharged as the result of a wound, and lived the rest of his life in the vicinity of Fort Sheridan. It is unclear if Aaron was still in the service when Ernest was born. Both Aaron Dahl and his wife, Minnie Johnson Dahl, died in 1939 and are buried in the cemetery located at Fort Sheridan, together with Ernest’s sister, Blossom, who died as a child, perhaps from typhoid fever or diphtheria. I have visited the graves but do not recall the specific locations.
Ernest married Martha Christina Olander on July 13, 1918. They had two children, Ernest Alfred Dahl, Jr. (my father) and Betty Louise Dahl Elliott. With the exception of a few years in the New York area in the 1930’s, Ernest lived out his life in the suburbs north of Chicago, mostly in Skokie. Ernest died in 1967.  [Item 15]​​​