William Howard Dabney, 77, a retired Marine Corps colonel who served as commandant of cadets at Virginia Military Institute from 1989 to 1990, died Wednesday at his home in Lexington.
A memorial service will be held Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. at R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington, where he was a member.
His 37 years in the Marines took him twice to the Vietnam War. In 1968, he commanded India Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, during the siege of Khe Sanh, where his part in defending an isolated hill earned him the Navy Cross. He later commanded the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 9th Marine Regiment and Headquarters Battalion.
His citations included the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry.
He retired from active duty in 1990, after being posted at VMI as commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1987 and being named commandant of cadets two years later.
A native of St. Johns, New Brunswick, Canada, he grew up in Panama and in the Tidewater area of Virginia. He graduated from Christchurch School in Middlesex County in 1953 and then attended Yale University for a year.
He served in the Corps for three years before attending VMI, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant when he graduated in 1961. He married Virginia McCandlish Puller, daughter of Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, in September 1961.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Lewis Puller Dabney of Lynchburg; a daughter, Virginia Keane Kauders of Richmond; a sister, Martha Leclere of Stanardsville; and six grandchildren.
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