Stack and Combat Timing: Pillar of War and Kiora's Dismissal

[iMatt611]

I chose to attack my opponent with my Pillar of War. It has Defender but can attack as if it doesn't if it's enchanted. It was enchanted with Ordeal of Heliod, so it could attack. I added a 1/1 counter accordingly. My opponent played Kiora's Dismissal, an instant to return the enchantment Ordeal of Heliod to my hand.

If the removal of the enchantment occurred after I declared my attackers and before she declared blockers, I would conclude that my counter would stay, my enchantment would go, and my Pillar would no longer be able to attack and remain untapped. Is this right?

If the removal of the enchantment occurred after I declared my attackers and after she declared her blockers (in this case, she had no blockers to declare), I would conclude that my counter would stay, my enchantment would go, but my Pillar would still deal combat damage and become tapped. Is this right?

[Wingnut]

Game state only check to verify a creature is a legal attacker when attackers are declared. Once it passes that check, she's good to rip.

[Pleeb]

There is one last opportunity to cast spells when entering the combat phase before attackers are declared. This is the last chance your opponent has to remove the enchantment on your creature to give it defender again. As stated earlier, once a creature is declared as an attacking creature, it remains an attacking creature until combat is over or the creature is removed from combat (giving a creature defender doesn't remove it from combat)

[griffin131]

If the removal of the enchantment occurred after I declared my attackers and before she declared blockers, I would conclude that my counter would stay, my enchantment would go, and my Pillar would no longer be able to attack and remain untapped. Is this right?

Just to clarify, this will never be true. If you've declared attackers, you're attacking. It's impossible to stop (barring effects like {Maze of Ith}). You get the counter, she can unsummon the Ordeal, and you're still attacking.