Dix enlisted in the
United States Army at age 18 in 1962, hoping to join the Special Forces. Initially turned down because of his young age, he spent three years serving with the
82nd Airborne Division before being accepted into the Special Forces at the age of 21. and was assigned as a military adviser to the
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in
Chau Phu,
South Vietnam, near the
Cambodian border. On January 31, 1968,
Viet Cong forces attacked Chau Phu in the first days of the
Tet Offensive. Throughout that day and the next, Dix led groups of local fighters in rescuing endangered civilians and driving Viet Cong forces out of buildings in the city. Dix later received a
direct commission to
first lieutenant and retired as a
major after 20 years of service. His last duty assignment was Executive Officer of the 4th Battalion,
9th Infantry Regiment,
172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate),
Fort Wainwright, Alaska, from 1981 to 1982. ==Later life==