How did Dally make a difference according to Pony?

Although Dally would never be defined as a hero by the general public, Ponyboy acknowledged the difference he'd made in so many lives. Dally, in his own way, was a mentor to Ponyboy and Johnny. He risked his life for them, looked out for them, and in Johnny's case became a beloved family member.

Nobody would write editorials praising Dally. Two friends of mine had died that night: one a hero, the other a hoodlum. But I remembered Dally pulling Johnny through the window of the burning church; Dally giving us his gun, although it could mean jail for him; Dally risking his life for us, trying to keep Johnny out of trouble.