Howie Dallman was born on January 7, 1921, in Jamesville, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the Enlisted Reserve Corps of the U.S. Army on October 26, 1942, and entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on January 27, 1943. Dallman was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his pilot wings on February 8, 1944. He then completed training in the B-17 Flying Fortress before joining the 840th Bomb Squadron of the 483rd Bomb Group in Italy in July 1944. Lt Dallman flew 45 combat missions before being shot down and taken as a Prisoner of War on October 23, 1944. After spending 189 days in captivity, he was liberated from Stalag Luft 3 at Nuremberg-Langwasser, Germany, on April 29, 1945, and returned to the United States in June 1945. Lt Dallman served as a pilot and as a Base Legal Officer at Chanute Field, Illinois, from December 1945 to December 1946, and then at Kadena AB, Okinawa, from January 1947 to February 1949. He then served at Orlando AFB, Florida, from February to December 1949, followed by service at Robbins AFB, Georgia, from December 1949 to July 1950. Capt Dallman's next assignment was to Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley AFB, Virginia, where he served from August 1950 to August 1954. He then served with Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe from September 1954 to August 1957, followed by service with Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Pentagon from August 1957 to February 1962. Col Dallman completed KC-97 Stratotanker upgrade training in March 1962, and then served with the 320th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) at March AFB, California, until April 1963, when he transferred to the 44th ARS at Selfridge AFB, Michigan, where he served until January 1966. He then completed C-130 Hercules upgrade training before being assigned to the 47th Troop Carrier Squadron (renamed the 47th Tactical Airlift Squadron) from February 1966 to July 1967, during which time he participated in the invasion of the Dominican Republic in March 1966, and he flew 2 combat missions in Southeast Asia in April 1966. Col Dallman then served with the 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan, from July 1967 to October 1968. During this time, he flew an additional 95 combat missions in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He then served with the 347th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 516th Tactical Airlift Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas, from November 1968 to September 1971. Col Dallman's final assignment was as an Advisor to the Minnesota Air National Guard from September 1971 until his retirement from the Air Force on June 30, 1974. Howard Dallman died on August 23, 2000, and his remains were cremated.

His Air Force Cross Citation reads:

Lieutenant Colonel Howard M. Dallman distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as a C-130E Aircraft Commander in Southeast Asia on 5 February 1968. On that date, Colonel Dallman was flying a combat mission in support of friendly ground forces engaged in the defense of a beleaguered outpost. The mission was to fly 35,000 pounds of needed ammunition and a medical evacuation team from Da Nang to Khe Sanh, which was under siege. Immediately after landing at Khe Sanh, the aircraft was hit by a volley of armor piercing rounds which ignited the explosive cargo. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Colonel Dallman elected to back the aircraft to a safe area where an explosion would not endanger the defending ground forces. There he directed the orderly evacuation of the medical evacuation team from the stricken aircraft. He then proceeded to fight the fire, which had spread to the cargo compartment. Through his actions he not only saved lives and a valuable aircraft, but also prevented a large portion of the Khe Sanh airfield from being destroyed by an explosion. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness, Colonel Dallman reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.