Ol'Harry

BENBOW'S NAVY SERVICE A TESTIMONY FOR PEACE

On January 1, 1942, John R. “Bob” Benbow attended the first Rose Bowl game played away from Pasadena, California.  (Duke Stadium, Durham, NC – Oregon State 20, Duke 16). 

On January, 19, 1943, Benbow joined the U.S. Navy.  After boot camp, he went aboard the Navy’s first tank landing ship, LST-1. 

Of 1000 LSTs manufactured during the war years, Benbow’s was the first to float.  “We left New York on April 14, 1943 with a full load of tanks, trucks, jeeps and lots of supplies.  We even carried a 131-foot landing craft tank on our main deck.  Pontoons were attached to each side of the LST for unloading tanks and heavy equipment.

Bermuda was our first port of call – it was the first and last friendly call for the next two years.”

BOB BENBOW IS OAK RIDGE, NC NATIVE AND
GRADUATE OF OAK RIDGE MILITARY ACADEMY

Arzew and Bizerte, along the African Coast, were less friendly, “We got our introduction to the real war there – air raids, bombs, and firing our anti-aircraft guns at enemy planes.”

Sicily was even less hospitable, “We were bombed almost every day and sometimes at night – just enough to keep us up and wear us out.”

LST-1 made several supply shuttles back and forth to Africa.  “On one trip, we took on 400 German and Italian prisoners of war and transported them to Africa. 

On another trip, I met the Army doctor who had come aboard for the Invasion of Sicily.  He was a major and I was enlisted, but we developed a special bond – his name was Dr. Maurice LeBauer, from Greensboro, North Carolina.

TROOPS OFFLOADING AT SALERNO, ITALY

The September, 1943 Invasion of Salerno, Italy came next for us.  We got there a few days after D-Day, but were still within firing range of the Germans.  We stayed at general quarters almost all the time.”

LST-1 went into the supply shuttle mode again, making several voyages across the Mediterranean to Northern Africa.  “We knew another invasion was being planned, but the ship was on lock-down secrecy.  After sailing, we were told – Anzio.”

There was hardly anything about Anzio that Benbow approved, “It was poorly planned and the execution was worse than the planning.  Allied lives were lost unnecessarily!”

The fact that U.S. ships were raided by Luftwaffe bombers and received heavy barrages of fire from inland gun placements -- including Germany’s infamous railroad gun -- surely clouded Benbow’s perspective.  Many companion LSTs were hit and some sank at Anzio.

COMBAT LOADING AT SALERNO FOR ANZIO INVASION

After Anzio, LST-1 returned to dry dock in Sicily, featuring rest & recuperation for the crew.  The welcome this time was friendlier than on their prior visit.

Benbow lost his Oak Ridge Military Academy class-ring in Sicily.  “That broke my heart and I looked all over for it.  After the war, I went back to Oak Ridge for one semester.  A guy from New York sent the ring to the president of the school.  He had traded a carton of cigarettes for my ring in Salerno.  Fortunately, he was a good guy -- my name and the school name was engraved inside the ring.” 

By early May, 1944 Benbow was in Swansea, Wales, enjoying what turned out to be a lull before the storm.  “This was our first English-speaking port in over a year, but even with my Welsh heritage I had a hard time with their brogue.”

LST-1 had been combat-loaded for four days when she slipped from an English port on June 5, 1944.  “I was up early the next morning – you could see ships in four directions and airplanes in four directions – that’s the only way I can describe it.

We anchored off Omaha Beach D-Day afternoon and sent a landing craft ashore with a load of Navy beach-masters.  They would supervise off-loading from the ships.”

Benbow’s second visit to Omaha Beach was on June 12, 1944.  It was a mind-changer.  “My walk on the beach that day is burned in my memory.  Those memories will haunt me forever.  Ships were sunk or partially submerged, tanks and vehicles over-turned and burned, dead soldiers were lying in the sand – body parts were still being collected.”

For decades, 93-year old Benbow did not talk or write about his WW II memories.  Eventually, he started writing – then talking -- he feels people need to know about the awfulness of war, and that war is not always the answer.

WORLD WAR II VETERAN OF FIVE CAMPAIGNS VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE
BUT PRAYS THAT WARS CAN BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE

The North Carolina State University graduate worked with Nationwide Insurance for 31 years.  He has been retired 33 years.  He married Reba Lowdermilk in 1949 – they have three children and three grand-children.  

In October, 2016 Benbow was among the 1942 Rose Bowl attendees invited back to commemorate the occasion – only one of the football players was still alive.