Bangor Public Library Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl World War Regimental Histories World War Collections 1946 U.S.S. Benson DD-421 : 1940-1946 United States Navy Follow this and additional works at: http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his Recommended Citation United States Navy, "U.S.S. Benson DD-421 : 1940-1946" (1946). World War Regimental Histories. 160. http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/160 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the World War Collections at Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl. It has been accepted for inclusion in World War Regimental Histories by an authorized administrator of Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl. For more information, please contact [email protected]. C A U. · S. A. Azo~t.. .... BERMUDA b. ~ ~ 'BAHAMA 15LAND5 i•' BA "'0 ~ ~ HAITIQ., I/. i.{~ =-''! ':"'" -::::> :Ntnto9clfli,r~:. ic:u£~t ~ ANTILL£s •• • Cldr-Jr~re Qu:s:SIA zou. ~ LIBYA . .. .... •~'· .·. : .-· :. : :. .;.. :;:~:: :: ;·.::· . : : ., : ...... .. .' ~- . .. ·::::' 1::::. ··· .. " v¥ ••• : ··· ;:'·· :: ......'. : .. ., .... .· : ..... p d ~ [( S01tW1~1 "W\ISVVWI \IIVn~, I '' [J NO)I o;,)IO VSOWliCJ YWil ON\1 , YM't'W1>40 (> V'N tH'J • .·.. '' Commander Edwin E. Lord USN- Commanding USS Benson (DI>-421) The Commander United States EIGHTH Fleet, in the name of the President of the United States, awards the Bronze Star Medal to Lieutenant Commander Edwin E. Lord, U. S. NAVY CITATION For distinguishing himself by meritorious achievement as Commanding Offi­ cer of the U.S.S. BENSON during fire support operations off the coast of the Franco­ Italian Riviera in October, 1944. Lieutenant Commander Lord exhibited great skill and resourcefulness while engaged in numerous fire support operations against enemy shore installations near the Franco-Italian border. He maneuvered his ship with such faultless sea. manship that despite heavy and well-directed enemy counter-fire and the pres­ ence of known minefields in the immediate ar-ea, . concentrated and accurate bombardments were effectively delivered against enemy harbor and dock facil­ ities and self-propelled guns. Through his inspiring and resolute leadership, he was largely responsible for inflicting severe damage on hostile installations along the invasion coast, thereby contributing materially to the weakening of enemy resistance and the ensuing rapid advance of the ground forces into en­ emy-held territory. The exceptional ability, aggressive leadership under fire, and outstanding de­ votion to duty displayed by Lieutenant Commander Lord reflected credit upon himself and the Naval Service. HENRY K. HEWITT Admiral, United States Navy, Commander - U. S. Eighth Fleet :, _....... _..-. .- _.::...I' .... ....... ~ ~ ............. ..--.... ~ ~ ~ .-....... __..., ~ ~ ......... ~ ":llllllll"~ -- -....... ~r ~ ~ ........ - --- -'!'T.~ - ~ - lsi Row, !. to R. Smiley, R. H. Berman, A. L. Solana, J. M. Heckroth, R. H. 3rd Row, L. to R. 4th Row, L. to R. 5th Row, L. to R. Gun 1st Row, L. to R. Dyke, R. C. Wright, G. E. Anton, F. D. Smith, G. M. 2nd Row, L. to R. Buckingham, F. M. Grundy, H. L. Coles, G. G. Smith, M.S. Del Torto, R. Rourke, W. E. Eagan, J. T. Clark, J. A. Martinson, E. De Berry, S. J. Sigl, P. F.· Fortner, H. W. Lerew, J. C. Morrill, J. M. Yancey, G. A. Grether, E. F. Felt, K. R. Panella, F. Bocchino, J. Crawford, J. H. Dunlop, J. T. Jones, J. P. Gun 2nd Row, L. to R. Gray, F. L. Lord, E. E. Brown, D. J. Martin, J. H. Sirigos, B. Beechel, F. V. Yearley, C. Pashchak, A. Geffken, F. Pryor, C. M. Payne, H. W. Lindberg, D. S. Wood, C. A. Pettersson, K. E. Whitney, D. A. Giles, T. A. Wittenberger, W. W. Rockett, R. J. Brainard, B. C. Gabriel, E. F. VanHouten, W. F. May, C. E. .Self, P. A. O'Connor, J. J. Mancini, L. J. Matheson, N. E. Fitzsimmons, H. J. Bergeron, R. L. Gun 3rd Row, L. to R. Nelson, B. J. Saunders, E. W. Humphrey, B. L. Eggert, R. W. Beach, H. P. Davis, 0. Wimberley, W. W. Graves, R. E. Childs, 0. T. Walters, E. W. Mahon, J. C. Wigman, T. Salveson, :fl. M. Ojerholm, P. S. Murphy, R. C. Carr, N. A. Nestor, J. W. ~- - --=-------~-- - 6th Row, L. to R. Healy, C. D. Greenberg, R. I. Lyons, G. J. Blake, H. B. Patton, J. F. Zarrelli, J. Krause, W. J. Thibodeau, J. W. Melberg. D. L. Davis, C. W. Adams, C. Allen, E. 0. Gallo, F. S. Welsh, J. Swann, 0. Smith, M.S. Gun 1st Row, L. to R. Adams, J. R. Long, L. Fitzpatrick, M. J. Flood, P. A. 1st Row, L. to R. 2nd Row, L. toR. 3rd Row, L. to R. 4th Row, L. to R. 5th Row, L. to R. Gun 2nd Row, L. to R. Beach, W. E. Teegarden, J. B. Berardo, C. P. Garity, N. E. Lombard, R. D. Waggoner, C. E. Courson, L. H. Cozine, C. H. Lucov, M. J. Swift, R. S. Cantrell, J. Y. Adams, G. F. Carlino, S. Henry, R. R. Fusco, F. W. Crull, A. J. Nelson, D. D. Reamer, G. B. Douglass, R. L. Henchbarger, W. A. Evanylo, H. Huffman, G. L. Sloan, L.A. Bentley. L. J. Jordan, L. A. Maylor, P. L. Combs, A. P. Allen, G. W. Wolf, H. Hayne, H. L. Sacharanski, F. A. Bearzi, J. Gallant, H. F. McCarty, J. E. Bland, J. W. Casalino, J. A. Lamirand, W. H. Erickson, J. R. Vc::xkes, W. P. Jenkins, F. Fitzgerald, J. Donnon, C. A. Baxter, W. R. Crawford, C. J. Verbickey, J. P. Connolly, M. Bruce, F. A. Bartley, W. G. Marine, F. K. Foreman, W. P. Winter, W. Albert, J. A. Gun 3rd Row, L. to R. Vandal. F. J. Essenbreis, F. R. Blakley, J. W. Hartikainen, E. W szulkowski, H. Zinkhan, J. E. Maguire, K. J. Hoffman, E. A. Bleiler, P. W. Rowland, G. E. Brice, G. Zanoni, J. Johnson, F. H. Lingle, P. F. Daniels, C. E. Stocker, H. B. Garrison, E. Wolfe, E. L. Ivey, W. W szolek, H. E. Ernstmeyer, F. T. Follansbee, R. L. Lewis, G. L. Finney, T. F. Schlottmann, R. C. Lewis, G. L. lst Row, L. to R. Gainor, R. Little, H. Crooks, H. H. 2nd Row, L. to R. Allender, R. Rosenberger, G. P. Dean, H. E. Liebman, L. Lattimer, L. Davis, W. H. Mason, 0. P. Onisko, J. Panapada, A. E. Barton, W. Burke, D. B. 4th Row, L. to R. 5th Row, L. to R. 6th Row, L. to R. Gun 1st Row, L. toR. Gun 3rd Row, L. to R. Finkelstein, G. Whipple, R. A. Murphy, B. A. Lymburner, J. E. Watts, C. D. Cooke, A. J. Pechota, J. M. O'Gara, D. N. Closta, W. Hunt, J. H. VanAuken, F. T. 3rd Row, L. to R. Angell, W. J. Friedlander, D. Smith, J. J. DiGiovanna, T. J. Goodman, J. T. Fleck, L. H. Faron, E. W. Fisher, G. H. Dell'Orefice, J. P. Foley, J. Berger, R. W. Durkin, J, P. Cappadona, A. J. Oliver, J. C. Walukonis, A. E. Malley, J, Broncato, N. A. Dyson, E. Kerr, E. G. Gun 2nd Row, L. to R. Gun 4th Row, L. to R. Walker, E. A. llderton, A. W. Ucko, B. M. Sauer, G. A. Watts, S. E. Riddle, W. I. Lareau, E. M. Hathorn, W. L. Carter, P. B. Smoot, J. R. McGoey, J. J. May, C. W. McGraw, E. W. Kossen, A. G. Frady, C. J. Barsky, B. A. Wilson, R. J, McCoy, D. R. Canuette, C. L. Burke, J. C. Grady, D. J. Boss, C. R. Warner, D. G. Blunck, J. L. Borda, W. P. Mizzene, P. H. Donovan, E. J. Lawrence, F. J. Yothers, P. C. Donnelly, M. F. Gunn, P. E. Green, R. H. Cannon, J. E. Tann, B. Murray, F. E. Buchanan, D. J. MacDonald, D. J. Neway, W. E. Cassaday, R. G. Goodwin, D. L. Skopaz, E. J. Collette, L. 0. Adams, A. C. Noga, J. F. Care, F. Verros, J. H. Hendricksmeier, C. J. uno ·o 1apun q:>tDM ,''. ,, front of Okinawa, and then the final "kill" in Tokyo Bay. L The BENSON participated in six · operations, four of them in­ covered hundreds of thousands of ocean convoy duty, and not BENSON-escorted ship was sunk through enemy action. May, 1941-six months before of the U.S.S. of the United States into World and until the Japanese sur­ telide!rec:L the BENSON sailed convoy BENSON (DD-421), is one combat. Because we lacked .suitable in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean a class of thirty-two destroyers, escort ships, destroyers were used to pro­ the Pacific. Scores of times she was known as "Benson Class of 1937-1940." tect convoys, as well as to guard our the target of enemy attacks, and her The BENSON is one of thirty destroyers combatant Task Forces. Destroyers were rocky career was climaxed in the Med­ built to Bethlehem-prepared plans. used to bombard enemy shore positions, iterranean in 1944, when the German Air The BENSON is named for Admiral and to carry bombs and aviation gaso­ Force pounced on a convoy the BENSON William S. Benson, U.S.N., and was built line, and stores to Guadalcanal during was escorting. Although the ship was at the Bethlehem Steel Company Plant, the lean weeks, early in the campaign in subjected to torpedo, horizontal and glide Quincy, Massachusetts - authorized those far-distant seas. bombing, as well as strafing, she shot March 27, 1934; keel laid May 16, 1938; By nature as well as by name, the down two "Ju-88's", had another "prob­ launched November 15, 1939 and first purpose of · the destroyer is wholly of­ able", and damaqed several more planes commissioned July 25, 1940.