Dale Allen Wenburg
Agency patch
Private First Class

Dale Allen Wenburg

United States Army Military Police Corps — Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Veteran → Accident
End of Watch June 19, 1977
Age 19
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
The Vigil Panel 118 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Private First Class Dale Wenburg drowned during a rescue of three people in the vicinity of Fort San Lorenzo in the Panama Canal Zone.

The three people had gone to explore a cave, and the tide started rising, so they decided to climb the cliff. During the climb, a landslide occurred, which partially buried two of the explorers. The third person dug them out, but one was injured, so he went for help. As he returned with PFC Wenburg, an Army paramedic, and a firefighter, and they were climbing down the rocks to rescue the injured explorer, a large wave washed all three of them into the sea. All three men drowned as a result.

PFC Wenburg had served as a military police officer for 1 year.

He was awarded the Soldier's Medal posthumously.

The three people had gone to explore a cave, and the tide started rising, so they decided to climb the cliff. During the climb, a landslide occurred, which partially buried two of the explorers. The third person dug them out, but one was injured, so he went for help. As he returned with PFC Wenburg, an Army paramedic, and a firefighter, and they were climbing down the rocks to rescue the injured explorer, a large wave washed all three of them into the sea. All three men drowned as a result.

PFC Wenburg had served as a military police officer for 1 year.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents and three brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-645E8455
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Private First Class Wenburg gave the United States Army Military Police Corps 1 year.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Platform Identity usampcmp.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 19, 1977
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 19
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Dale Allen Wenburg served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Private First Class Dale Allen Wenburg is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.

In MO, 237 of 813 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.2% of this state's fallen. That is 29.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Army Military Police Corps, 39 of 65 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

United States Army Military Police Corps
39
of 65 officers
60% Accident
MO — Statewide
237
of 813 officers
29.2% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,756 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dale Allen Wenburg's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Dale Allen Wenburg Compares

Age at Death
19
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Dale Allen Wenburg is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Military Service

Dale Allen Wenburg served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Dale Allen Wenburg’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.