Promoted to Glory: Lt. Colonel David Mikles
Lt. Colonel David Mikles was Promoted to Glory in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at the age of 93.
Joseph David Mikles was born on June 7, 1932, in Concord, NC to parents David R. and Eva Bivans Mikles. He was a third-generation Salvationist. The family moved to Tulsa, OK when he was young, and he grew up attending the Tulsa Citadel Corps.
While still in high school, the teen moved to Charleston, WV to work for his uncle, Brigadier John Bivans, who was serving there as area commander. He loved to say that the first time he saw Jean at the Charleston Citadel Corps he knew that he was going to marry her.
After graduating high school, David briefly attended college before enlisting in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. After basic training, he auditioned for and won a spot in the 512th Air Force Band at Tinker Air Force Base. He and Jean were married on December 1, 1951, in Tulsa, and their first son, Jim, was later born there.
A shared calling to be Salvation Army officers led David and Jean to enter the Evangeline Booth College in 1954 as members of the Soul Winners session of cadets. Commissioned in 1955, their first appointment as corps officers was to Colmar Manor, MD (now Prince George’s County Corps). During their six years there, three more children – Judy, Ken, and Karol – were added to the family.
Corps appointments followed in Greenville, Longview, and Dallas Pleasant Grove, TX, where the Captains Mikles encouraged youth and music in their ministry.
In 1970, he was appointed as divisional youth secretary for the Kentucky-Tennessee Division, where he was instrumental in establishing the first divisional camp property, Camp Paradise Valley.
Subsequent staff appointments took them to three posts in the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi, North & South Carolina (NSC), and Texas Divisions. In 1982, Major David was appointed to attend the International College for Officers in London. This experience expanded his vision for the Army’s work.
In 1984, he joined the Territorial Headquarters staff as the community relations and development secretary. During that time, he served as chairman of the National Public Relations Commission and headed earthquake relief efforts for Mexico and Jamaica.
In June 1988, he became divisional commander for Kentucky-Tennessee, and God gave him a vision for six corps to be opened there. Upon their departure three years later, five new corps had opened, one had transferred to the Southern Territory from the East, and funds had been raised for yet another corps plant. Lt. Colonel David later observed, “I had envisioned how this would all be accomplished. But just so we all know the work was the Lord’s, and not our own, nothing happened as I had planned it.”
In June 1991, the Colonels Mikles were appointed to lead the North & South Carolina Division, where they remained for their final six years of active service. Colonel David had the honor of being the first native-born Carolinian to serve as NSC Divisional commander. Under his leadership, seven new corps were opened.
After 40 years as active Salvation Army officers, the couple retired in 1997 to Asheville, NC, where the colonel enjoyed playing in the corps band, singing in the corps songsters brigade, and participating in other corps activities. He continued to work in post-retirement, conducting program studies and working for the Emergency Disaster Services Department.
In June 2017, they moved to Cape Coral, FL to be closer to family. They attended the Fort Myers Corps where they continued their involvement in corps activities.
August 2024 brought another change for David and Jean when they moved into assisted living in the Orlando area. They faithfully attended the Orlando Citadel Corps, where Colonel David described himself as “a happy old man,” and never tired of saying how grateful he was for all his blessings, including his sweetheart, Jean.
Lt. Colonel David Mikles is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Emma (John) Townley. He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Lt. Colonel Jean Mikles; his children, Jim (Lisa) Mikles, Judy (Rick) Kamph, Ken (Ruth) Mikles, and Lt. Colonel Karol (Jim) Seiler. He also leaves nine grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren; his brother, Lt. Colonel John (Anne) Mikles; and several nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Atlanta Temple Corps on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Committal will follow at Westview Cemetery.