Revolutionary Colonel William Harden, with Dik Daso

About this event

Join the BDC and Beaufort County Historical Society for a local history lecture on "South Carolina's Unheralded Partisan Commander," Colonel William Harden. Dik Daso will divulge Col. Harden's story and actions during the Revolutionary War, particularly his efforts in the Lowcountry. This local history program is co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection and BCHS. Doors open at 10:30 AM. Speaker Bio: Dik Daso serves as the Executive Director of the Air Force Historical Foundation. Daso was adjunct faculty in the department of history at the University of South Carolina where he taught a variety of courses that focus on the history of technology and science. He retired from the USAF in 2001 and then served at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum as the curator of modern military aircraft until retiring from that post in 2012. He earned his B.S. from the USAF Academy in 1981 and his doctorate in history from the University of South Carolina in 1996. Daso flew T-38, RF-4C, and F-15 aircraft during his service. He was assigned to the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board during the visionary New World Vistas S&T study in 1995. He also held the position of Chief, Air Force Doctrine, as a member of the Air Staff in the Pentagon. Lt. Col. Daso retired after 20 years of active service in 2001. Daso has authored several books and contributed chapters to several more. The books include U.S. Air Force: A Complete History (Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc., 2006), Doolittle: Aerospace Visionary (Brassey’s US, 2003), Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001; Special AFHF Edition, 2012; USAF 75th Anniversary Edition, 2022), Architects of American Air Supremacy: General Hap Arnold and Dr. Theodore von Kármán (Air University Press, 1997). His latest work, Colonel William Harden: South Carolina’s Unheralded Partisan Commander, is the subject of our upcoming event.