Malen “Butch” Dowse” was born in Dodge City KS on 2 March 1942. His family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1957 where he graduated from High School. Enlisted in the Colorado Army National Guard on 25 January 1960 as a Private, Field Artillery during his senior year. He attended basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill OK as a Cannon Crewman. He moved back to Kansas in 1962 and joined Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion 161st Field Artillery, Dodge City in the communications section.
He was the Battalion Communications Chief as a Staff Sergeant in 1965 when he started in the Kansas National Guard OCS program in Hutchinson. He was graduated and commissioned in 1966 as a 2LT Field artillery, assigned to Headquarters Battery as the Assistant Battalion Communications Officer. He later Commanded Headquarters Battery and served various staff positions including S-3 and Exec Officer with the 1-161st and appointed as Battalion Commander in 1983. He transferred to the 130th FA Brigade, Hutchinson Kansas in 1985 as the Executive Officer later to become 35th Division Artillery.
In 1991 he was transferred to Headquarters, State Area Command as the Army National Guard Military Personnel Officer, then in 1994 appointed as the Director of Maintenance where he oversaw the MATES, CSMS, Organizational Maintenance Shops and the Retro Europe Program. He retired on 31 December
1997 and became the Executive Director, National Guard Association of Kansas and administers the State Sponsored Life Insurance program. He has held numerous committee positions with NGAKS including president. He was elected president of the National Guard Executive Director’s Association in 2004.
His awards include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He was also awarded the Kansas National Guard Medal of Excellence, the Honorary Colonel for the 161st Field Artillery Regiment and Honorary and Ancient Orders of Saint Barbara He and Marilyn Chrispens, married in August 1964 and have one son, Jason and two grandsons, Nick and Michael living in Kansas City, KS. They had a second son, Scott who died in 1975.
