George Benjamin, Jr.
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| George Benjamin Jr. | |
|---|---|
| April 24, 1919 - December 21 - 1944 | |
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Allegiance | U.S. Army |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | Company A, 306th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
George Benjamin Jr. was a private in the 77th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippines campaign of 1944-45. As a radio operator, he lead an assault against a numerically superior Japanese machine gun nest. He is buried in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
[edit] Other honors
On July 4, 1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, a memorial was erected in Woodbury, New Jersey, Benjamin's home town. It was also during this date that the George Benjamin Jr. Memorial 5K was inaugurated.
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
| “ | He was a radio operator, advancing in the rear of his company as it engaged a well-defended Japanese strong point holding up the progress of the entire battalion. When a rifle platoon supporting a light tank hesitated in its advance, he voluntarily and with utter disregard for personal safety left his comparatively secure position and ran across bullet-whipped terrain to the tank, waving and shouting to the men of the platoon to follow. Carrying his bulky radio and armed only with a pistol, he fearlessly penetrated intense machinegun and rifle fire to the enemy position, where he killed 1 of the enemy in a foxhole and moved on to annihilate the crew of a light machinegun. Heedless of the terrific fire now concentrated on him, he continued to spearhead the assault, killing 2 more of the enemy and exhorting the other men to advance, until he fell mortally wounded. After being evacuated to an aid station, his first thought was still of the American advance. Overcoming great pain he called for the battalion operations officer to report the location of enemy weapons and valuable tactical information he had secured in his heroic charge. The unwavering courage, the unswerving devotion to the task at hand, the aggressive leadership of Pfc. Benjamin were a source of great and lasting inspiration to his comrades and were to a great extent responsible for the success of the battalion's mission. | ” |
