Training Was Tough, Too

I have an interesting and unfortunate story for you. Probably hundreds of men were killed or seriously wounded in training for war. They should be remembered equally.

On Friday, June 11, 1943, my mother, Mildred Benoit, went to visit my father, 2nd Lt. Kenneth J. Benoit, at the Pocatello flight training base in Idaho. They were hoping to be able to spend the weekend together because they were recently married. My father and his best friend/best man at their wedding, 2nd Lt. William T. Allard were in bomber pilot training. A training flight had been scheduled for Friday evening. My father and eight other men were scheduled. Out of the goodness of his heart, Lt. Allard was not scheduled for the flight, but offered to take my father's co-pilot assignment so my parents could spend the weekend together. It was only about a week before they were all to be sent overseas. My father thanked Bill for the offer and declined it. Bill insisted and flipped a coin to put the matter to rest. Bill made the call and won the flip and chose to go.

Bill made the bomber flight with eight other men that evening. At about 9:40 p.m., an unexpected and fierce storm came up with heavy winds and lightning. The bomber went down about 9 miles north of Aberdeen, Idaho in the town of Grandview. There were no survivors.

My parents were devastated as were all at the base. The C.O. asked my parents to bring Lt. Allard home to Dedham, Massachusetts by train. They did. Lt. Allard's gold flying school graduation ring was given to my dad by Bill's sister. Even though my dad passed away in 1997 as a Ret. Lt. Colonel., my family still treasures Bill's ring.

If not for the kindness of that man, I along with my 5 brothers and sisters would not be here. The other brave young men who tragically died that evening literally on the doorstep to combat assignments were:

Flight Officer Lenval H. Cash of Joplin, MO
2nd Lt. Edwin E. Wilson Jr., of Birmingham, AL
2nd Lt. Frank E. Kellog of Miami, FL
Florida, Sgt. George A. Basnight of Elizabeth City, N.C.
Sgt. Fred W. Dilworth of Greenville, S.C.
Sgt. Donald H. Lindsey of Spokane, WA
Sgt. Chester M. Wingate of Shamokin, PA
Sgt. Warren O. Bacon of Springfield, IL.

May they rest in peace with all those other Americans who answered the call to duty and made the supreme sacrifice for us. In thanks to surviving the war, my dad thanked God at church every Sunday for the rest of his life. He was a great man who took advantage of the life allowed him by Lt. Allard, by raising a fine family. Myself and my brothers continued that trait of being thankful by entering the military and then all becoming police officers.

Accounts of the crash can be sourced in the Pocatello, Idaho Tribune, dated 6-13-1943.

David C. Benoit, proud son of Ret. Lt. Col. Kenneth J. Benoit (deceased)