Dickie Bahm was born on July 16, 1948, in Gulfport, Mississippi. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 1, 1968, and completed basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in September 1968. Pvt Bahm then attended Infantry Training at Fort Polk from September to November 1968, followed by NCO Candidate training and Scout Dog Handler training at Fort Benning, Georgia, from December 1968 to July 1969. SP4 Bahm served as a Scout Driver with the 33rd Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog) of the 4th Infantry Division in South Vietnam from September 1969 to April 1970, and then as a Dog Handler and Tracker with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Mechanized) of the 50th Infantry Regiment in South Vietnam from April 1970 until he returned to the United States in June 1970. He left active duty on June 22, 1970, and was honorably discharged from the Army Reserve on May 22, 1974. After leaving active duty, Dickie worked for the U.S. Postal Service for almost 40 years. He died on January 21, 2014, and was buried at the Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Soldier's Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.