The Dalton Family
Loving and Living Military Life in Beaufort
story by KAREN SNYDER photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY-STANGE
For Caroline Dalton, a local teacher and military wife, there’s no other choice of where she’d rather be than right here in Beaufort—a place she says is like “no other.” As a military family, the Daltons have worked hard to stay anchored in the Beaufort community where Caroline and her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Dalton, Commanding Officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224, have chosen to raise their family.
Living in one town as a military family is no easy feat, but the Daltons remain committed to this goal as Lieutenant Colonel Dalton celebrates his 20th year of military service. Married eighteen years ago, Caroline readily admits to the challenges of being a military spouse. Yet, she and her husband are steadfast in their mutual desire to provide a “hometown upbringing” for their two daughters, Brooke (age 13) and Kate (age 11).
“We wanted our children to grow up in a place they could call home,” explains Caroline, “to attend one elementary school, to have strong roots and a solid foundation. We knew it would be a challenge to do that, but with every decision we’ve made about my husband’s career, this was always our goal.”
Though Caroline is first to admit that remaining settled in one place as a military spouse for fifteen years is practically unheard of when most military families move every two to three years, she says working as a team with both her husband and daughters is what makes it work.
Still, their life as Beaufortonians by choice, has not been without its challenges having to establish a family life around Lieutenant Colonel Dalton’s six tours of duty—among them Iraq, Japan, and the Pentagon. This, in addition to some twenty military training sessions (called DETs) that take Dalton away from his home for more than a month at a time.
To make it work, says Caroline, they built a strong relationship with each other while also being honest with their children. “We have a lot of long conversations as spouses and lots of family talks with our girls. We try to lay out a plan and let our daughters know that all the decisions we make are really for our family and them, while also helping their dad reach his career dreams.”
She adds, “We are a two-career family. I think it’s good for our daughters to see that we both are working hard to help provide stability for them, so they can stay in one place, go to a school they enjoy and feel safe in, and have the comforts of a place they can call home.”
Caroline says that while deployed, her husband works diligently to be a daily part of their children’s lives. “When serving at the Pentagon for two years, he traveled home on weekends. It was hard, but we would Facetime during the week,” she explains, adding that her husband works particularly hard at being involved in their children’s academics. “He’s often in touch with our children’s teachers to support both the teacher and the girls’ needs as students.”
A native of Pennsylvania, Caroline graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Widener University and a master’s degree in special education from Arcadia University, both in Philadelphia and where she began her teaching career. After relocating to Beaufort, Caroline taught at H.E. McCracken Middle School in Bluffton and at Beaufort Middle School, eventually joining the faculty of Riverview Charter School in 2011, where she currently teaches third grade.
She and her husband, a graduate of the University of Illinois, met while he was attending flight school in Pensacola, FL, having been introduced by Caroline’s cousin, who happened to be her husband’s neighbor at the time.
It seems that even before they wed, the Daltons began their relationship apart with a long-distance relationship. Caroline lived in Pennsylvania while Dennis completed flight school and then went on to San Diego. The Daltons got married in Pennsylvania in 2002 and began their lives in Beaufort when first stationed here in 2003.
“Yes,” Caroline laughs, “just two weeks after arriving in Beaufort, my husband left me to deploy to Japan. I knew no one. Beaufort was brand new to me.” Yet, it was then that Caroline’s admitted love affair with Beaufort began.
“I recognized almost immediately that it’s a different kind of life here. Our family wouldn’t be where it is today without the help of the Beaufort community,” she explains. “You’ve heard the expression, ‘It takes a village.’ Beaufort is my village!”
“So many of our neighbors, friends, and coworkers have always been there for us when things got tough over the years. I found that whenever I shared my story of being a military wife with a husband on deployment, there was an outpouring of love from Beaufortonians. Whether it was inviting my girls and me to Thanksgiving dinner or a Christmas celebration, or helping out with dinners and support when my young daughter had been hospitalized with pneumonia, Beaufort was there for us,” she says. “It’s what I call ‘Beaufortonians doing Beaufort.’ It’s why Beaufort holds an incredibly special place in my heart.”
Without relatives nearby, Caroline is quick to also credit her military family and the support of various military spouse support groups she’s been active in over the years that have been an important part of her family’s support network. “I recognize that whenever my husband is deployed, it’s really harder on him than us. But sometimes it can feel just as hard for the spouse. If you’ve had a bad day and need someone to vent to or have exciting news to share, our spouses are often not reachable or are in another time zone, making it difficult to connect daily. It can feel very lonely at times,” she says, adding that attending events and parties alone is frequently the norm.
“I often joke that everything breaks once your spouse is deployed,” she laughs, referring to flat tires, water heaters, and AC units that broke down just after her husband reported to duty. “It’s frustrating! It’s when you experience those things and know you’re the only one around left to fix the situation while also working and taking care of your children that you just want to cry!”
That’s why, says Caroline, participating in monthly military spouse group meetings can be so helpful. “Especially in my situation with being in Beaufort for so long. New military spouses or those who have just arrived in Beaufort know they can trust me. Our meetings provide a place where military spouses can tell their stories and ask for help if needed. She asserts, “I know I’m taken care of and they are there for me, and I will always do the same for them!”
Often, reports Caroline, support from fellow military spouses is simply about being together and having fun! “Recently, a local gentleman who owns a house on Fripp, ‘donated’ his house so that we military spouses could have a fun weekend, free of charge, to unwind and destress. It was incredibly generous of him!”
The Daltons spend quality family time together whenever time permits. Both the Dalton girls play sports, including basketball, cross country, and soccer at Riverview Charter School, where Caroline coaches the soccer team. “Our girls have also played travel soccer for the last three years.”
“We love to travel, take family vacations, go boating, and spend time at the beach,” she says. “Life is busy and moves fast, but we always try to have family dinners together.”
Though being a military wife can sometimes be both mentally and physically exhausting, according to Caroline, she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I feel like I’m a better mom because of it. I want my daughters to grow up to be strong girls, and I hope I’ve modeled that for them. I want them to know they, too, can make their own choices when they have their own families.”
As far as the future, Caroline says, “We’ll always put a plan in place that supports my husband’s success and our vision for our family. We may not know what is coming next, but we know that—no matter what—our path eventually will lead us back to Beaufort.”
