GUEST THROWBACK THURSDAY by Laura Benson Parsons

Sargeant Robert Joseph Benson, the youngest of ten children born to Ernest and Mary (Murch) Benson of Kennebunkport served as a Ball Turret Gunner on a B-24 in the 380th Flying Circus Heavy Bombardment group of the Air Force. He enlisted in January,1943 at the age of 19. His squadron was based in Australia and flew missions over the Southwest Pacific.

The Benson family received word that Bob was missing in action in May 1945. On June 20, they were notified that he had been killed in action on May 18 when his B-24 was shot down by enemy ground anti-aircraft fire over the island of Formosa during a raid on the Airdrome at Taichu.

Bob was a 1941 graduate of Kennebunkport High School where he played basketball and baseball. In his letters home during the war, he always asked for scores and newspaper clippings about local games and asked his mother to send him his basketball shoes and his First Baseman’s mitt.

As part of the large Benson family, many letters were exchanged. Bob received 65 letters on a single day. His mother and sisters sent him hand knit socks, baked goods and candy. His take-home pay during training was $19.50 a month, so he asked for stamps, pens and stationery. Bob wrote how he had seen much of the country during his training, but nothing was like the scenery at home, how much he missed the ocean and the fresh air of “our little town”. When he returned home, he wrote he wanted to eat only seafood.

A letter from the war department in July 1945 awarding Bob the air medal noted that it was not possible, due to the manner in which he met his death, to identify his remains individually and he was buried with his crew in a military cemetery in Fort Snelling, Minnesota.