[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E169-E170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IN RECOGNITION OF WILLIAM COLE DOTSON, CAPTAIN, USN (RET.)

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK WALKER

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 13, 2018

  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember William 
Cole Dotson, 92, Captain, USN (Ret.). Bill Dotson peacefully passed 
away on February 2, 2018, at his home in Pittsboro, North Carolina. 
Bill was born and raised in Hodgenville, Kentucky, the oldest of three 
siblings. Growing up during the Great Depression, he worked hard to 
help his family make ends meet, and never lost his affection for 
Hodgenville, his grandparents' farm, and the people who always knew him 
as ``Billy Cole.'' The values of thrift, work and self-reliance he 
developed there defined him throughout his life.
   Capt. Dotson had a long, distinguished naval career, holding command 
positions both at-sea and ashore. He enlisted during World War II, 
served in 1944 and 1945 and then was selected to attend the U.S. Naval 
Academy where he graduated in 1949.
   Bill served on the USS Fred T. Berry (DDE-858) from 1949 to 1951 
where he was deployed to Korea. From 1951 to 1952 he was assigned to 
the USS Ingersol (DD-652). In 1952 he completed submarine training and 
from 1953 to 1955 was aboard the USS Tirante (SS-420).
   From 1955 to 1957, he taught NROTC at the University of Louisville 
in Louisville, Kentucky, while concurrently earning a Masters Degree in 
Business Administration. He met his wife Katherine there in 1955. They 
were married the following year and became lifelong companions, having 
four sons and traveling the world with the Navy.
   From 1957 to 1958, he was an Engineering Officer on the USS 
Trumpetfish (SS-425) and from 1958 to 1960 he was the Executive Officer 
of the USS Sennet (SS-408). In 1962 he completed the U.S. Naval 
Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and then began service as 
Commanding Officer of the submarine USS Medregal (SS-480). From 1964 to 
1967 he was the Head of the Plans and Programs Section of the Fleet 
Ballistic Missile Project Office in Washington, D.C. From 1967 to 1969, 
he was the Readiness Officer for COMSUBFLOTSIX.
   From 1969 to 1971, he was the Commanding Officer of the USS 
Observation Island (AG-154) which successfully conducted operational 
testing of the Poseidon missile. For his outstanding performance and 
inspiring devotion to duty as Commanding Officer, he was awarded the 
Meritorious Service Award.
   From 1971 to 1973, he was the Torpedo Systems Division Head at the 
Naval Ordnance Systems Command.
   From 1974 to 1976, he was the Chief of Staff at COMNAVMARIANAS in 
Guam. In this position he supervised the urgent Vietnamese refugee 
program, involving the processing, care, and onward routing of some 
110,000 refugees after the fall of Saigon in 1975. He was awarded the 
Legion of Merit for his exceptional performance and leadership of the 
program. He was also awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for 
his meritorious work in planning, directing and coordinating all 
aspects of the island's preparation for Typhoon Pamela and the ensuing 
recovery operations. That storm disabled Guam's power, water, and 
telephone systems and badly damaged thousands of homes.
   In 1976 he and his family returned to the mainland and he served as 
Commanding Officer at NAVSEACENLANT in Norfolk, Virginia earning the 
Meritorious Service Medal. He served in this position until he retired 
in 1979.

[[Page E170]]

   After his Navy retirement, Captain Dotson continued to support the 
Navy's mission in the private sector, applying his expertise to a 
variety of logistical and training projects. In his leisure time, he 
was an active Rotary Club member and bridge player and helped Katherine 
with her participation in weekend art festivals. Committed to the value 
of higher education, Bill took deep satisfaction in supporting the 
educational goals of his family and helped many earn undergraduate and 
graduate degrees.
   In 2011, Bill and Katherine relocated to North Carolina to be near 
their family. Bill delighted in the company of his children and six 
grandchildren.
   In addition to his wife, Katherine, he is survived by his sons, 
Mike, Jeff, Doug and Greg, their loving spouses, Patti, Maura, and 
Janine, and his grandchildren, Marli, Reed, Dahlia, Skyler, Julian and 
Bryce.

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