Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame Induction Set

Topeka The Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame Board of Governors has announced the 2008 inductees for the Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008 at the Ramada Inn, 420 E 6th Street, Topeka, Kan. The public is invited to attend.
The inductees for 2008 are: Col. Paul A. Cannady, retired Col. Malen "Butch" Dowse and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Alfred Link.

Col. Paul A. Cannady

Col. Paul A. Cannady was born in 1895 and graduated from Yates Center High School in 1912. It was during high school that he enlisted in the First Kansas Infantry of the Kansas National Guard. In 1915, he was discharged as an enlisted member and was commissioned as a first lieutenant.

In June 1916, his unit was mustered into federal service to serve on the Mexican border, then mustered out in October 1916. Then, in August 1917, he again entered federal service with the 137th Infantry part of the 35th Infantry Division that was preparing to go to war. While in France in 1918, he was given command of the 139th Infantry Regiment, which he led for the duration of the war. At the end of World War I, he returned to the Kansas National Guard and the 114th Cavalry Regiment.

Following graduation from Kansas State College, he became a military instructor at Haskell Indian School in Lawrence from 1919 until 1931, where he was responsible for the morale and discipline of 1,200 students. With the assistance of other Kansas National Guardsmen, he helped form Company D (Machine Gun), 137th Infantry Regiment in 1921 and later the Troop C of the 114th Cavalry both Indian units.

When he left Haskell, he became the state superintendent of the Boys Industrial School in Topeka, where he fought for changes to inefficiency and politics that were institutionalized at the school. He also fought for better trained leaders and teachers that would remain even after the state administration changed.

In 1935, he resigned from the Boys Industrial School and went to work in the private sector. During this time, he was promoted to colonel and assumed command of the 114th Cavalry, 24th Cavalry Division. In the late 1940s, he was mobilized as the commander of the 127th Field Artillery prior to becoming the commander of the 195th Field Artillery Group, which was headquartered at Fort Ord, Calif. He became ill during a field training exercise in the desert and even though he still commanded the 195th he was classified as non deployable. He died from this illness on July 21, 1944. The commanding general of Camp Roberts, Calif., stated about Col. Cannady: "He died a soldier's death as much as those now dying on the battlefield."

Retired Col. Malen "Butch" Dowse

Retired Col. Malen "Butch" Dowse was born on March 2, 1942, in Dodge City, Kan. He was raised southwest of Dodge City in Copeland, Kan., and moved with his family to Grand Junction, Colo., where he graduated high school and joined the Colorado National Guard in January 1960. He moved back to Kansas and transferred to Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Dodge City, in 1962.

In 1965, Dowse, then the battalion communications chief, accepted the challenge of attending the Kansas National Guard Officer Candidate School. He graduated in June 1966 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery. He served many staff positions within the battalion and as Headquarters Battery commander. He became a full-time Guardsman in July 1979 as the operations officer and later executive officer. He was appointed battalion commander in 1983. In 1985, he was transferred to the 130th Field Artillery Brigade in Hutchinson as executive officer and remained in that position as the unit was redesignated the 35th Division Artillery.

In 1991, he was transferred to State Area Command as military personnel officer and, in 1994, as director of maintenance, the position from which he retired in December 1997.

Upon retirement, he became the executive director of the National Guard Association of Kansas. He served in this position until December 2005. In 1999, he became the insurance administrator for the association and remains in that role.

He is past president of the National Guard Association of Kansas, the National Guard Executive Directors Association and Kaw Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and his homeowners association. He currently serves as a trustee on the National Guard Association of the United States Insurance Trust, a member of the Payroll Deduction Coordinating Board, treasurer of the Museum of the Kansas National Guard and his homeowners association.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), Army Commendation and Achievement Medals, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (6th award), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (3rd award), Army Service Medal and many Kansas National Guard Service Ribbons. He was also awarded the Kansas Medal of Excellence, National Guard Association of Kansas and National Guard Association of the United States Distinguished Service Medals and the Honorable and Ancient Orders of Saint Barbara and the Col. Jim Gamble Award. Dowse resides in Topeka with his wife, Marilyn.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Alfred E. Link

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Alfred E. Link enlisted in the Headquarters Battery, 195th Field Artillery Group in Iola, Kan., on Dec. 15, 1948. Link enlisted in the armory located at Riverside Park, Iola, Kan., and received the military rank of Recruit E-1. He received his military and Military Occupational Skill training under the guidance and supervision of Master Sgt. Swiggett, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery communications chief. The unit had drill every Monday night for a two-hour period. While serving at Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 195th Field Artillery Group, he performed duties as a field wireman, wire team chief, and communications chief.

The 195th Field Artillery Group was re-designated and reorganized on May 1, 1959, as the 195th Engineer Group. Link served as the construction foreman and the group's operations sergeant. On May 1, 1962, he was promoted to Headquarters and Headquarters Company first sergeant and served in that position until Sept. 15, 1965, when he was promoted to sergeant major of the group. He served in that position until the 195th Engineer Group was reorganized as the 3rd Battalion, 137th Infantry.

Link served as the sergeant major with the 3rd Battalion, 137th Infantry until August 1969, at which time the Army added the rank of command sergeant major. He was selected and promoted to that grade and he has the honor of becoming the first command sergeant major in the Kansas National Guard. He served in that position until his retirement on Dec. 15, 1970.

After one year and 15 days, he reenlisted in the National Guard and served as the assistant operations sergeant. On July 31, 1972, he assumed the duties as the full-time operations, training, and readiness specialist with the 3rd Battalion, 137th Infantry Battalion.

On Feb. 1, 1976, the 3rd Battalion, 137th Infantry was reorganized as the 891st Engineer Battalion. At that time, he became the battalion operations sergeant and served in that position and as the fulltime operations, training, and readiness sergeant until retirement on July 31, 1990.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with three Hourglass Devices, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with the Numeral 4, Army Service Ribbon, the Kansas National Guard Emergency Duty Service Ribbon with 1 Sunflower Device, Kansas National Guard Service Medal with three Sunflowers and the Citizen Soldier Award for Outstanding Achievement for 1965.

Link currently resides in Iola, Kan.

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