USS Benfold DDG 65 / HM3 Edward Clyde Benfold / Arleigh Burke class Guided Missile Destroyer – US Navy
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Naval Forces Technology, History & Information

 

Guided Missile Destroyer

DDG 65   -   USS Benfold

USS Benfold (DDG 65)

US Navy photo

Type, Class:

 

Guided Missile Destroyer; Arleigh Burke – class / Flight I;

planned and built as DDG 65;

Builder:

 

Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA

STATUS:

 

Awarded: January 16, 1991;

Laid down: August 3, 1993;

Launched: July 23, 1994;

Commissioned: June 8, 1996;

ACTIVE UNIT/ in commission (Pacific Fleet)

Homeport:

 

San Diego, California, USA

Namesake:

 

Named after and in honor of HM3 Edward Clyde Benfold (1931 – 1952);

> see history, below;

Ship's Motto:

 

> ONWARD WITH VALOR <

Technical Data:

(Measures, Propulsion,

Armament, Aviation, etc.)

 

see: INFO > Guided Missile Destroyer / Arleigh Burke - class.

 

Pictures, photos & more ...

 

Edward Clyde Benfold

 

Photo credits: US Navy, US Naval Historical Center,

 

Namesake & History:

HM3 Edward Clyde Benfold (January 15, 1931 – September 5, 1952);

 

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward Clyde “Ted” Benfold was eighteen when he joined the U.S. Navy on 27 June 1949.  He enlisted as a Hospital Recruit at the U.S. Navy Recruiting Station, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He subsequently advanced to Hospital Apprentice in 1949 and to Hospitalman Third Class on 12 August 1950.

 

His training began at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, where he remained until December 1949.  After completing the basic course at the Hospital School, he was assigned to the Naval Hospital, Newport, Rhode Island.  In August 1950 he reported for a four-month course in Neuropsychiatric Nursing Technique at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, graduating as a Neuropsychiatry Technician.  After leaving the hospital in June 1951, he had combat infantry training with the Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was ordered to duty with the Fleet Marine Force in the Pacific.

 

As a member of Private First Class McLaughlin’s Company L, Benfold had ample opportunity to put his training into practice in Korea on the night of 4 September 1952.  The Chinese attacked every Marine position on “Bunker Hill” without letup.  Casualties were heavy, and Benfold was constantly busy treating as many wounded Marines as possible, moving from one casualty to another across the battleground, and exposing himself to heavy enemy fire.  In search of casualties, he found two wounded Marines lying in a large crater.  Before he could administer aid, two enemy soldiers approached the shell hole and tossed two grenades into it.

Benfold rushed to the crater, jumped into it and picked up both grenades.  He leaped out of the hole and pushed a grenade to the chest of each soldier, an act of certain death.  The grenades exploded, killing the two Chinese and Benfold.  By sacrificing his own life, however, the gallant corpsman saved the lives of his two patients.

 

 

On 16 July 1953, Rear Admiral John H. Brown Jr., Commandant of the 4th Naval District, presented the Medal of Honor to Benfold’s son, Edward Joseph. 

 

>> For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Hospital Corpsman attached to a company in the 1st Marine Division during operations against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 5 September 1952. When his company was subjected to heavy artillery and mortar barrages, followed by a determined assault during the hours of darkness by an enemy force estimated at battalion strength, Petty Officer Benfold resolutely moved from position to position in the face of intense hostile fire, treating the wounded and lending words of encouragement. Leaving the protection of his sheltered position to treat the wounded when the platoon area in which he was working was attacked from both the front and rear, he moved forward to an exposed ridge line where he observed two Marines in a large crater. As he approached the two men to determine their condition, an enemy soldier threw two grenades into the crater while two other enemy charged the position. Picking up a grenade in each hand, Petty Officer Benfold leaped out of the crater And hurled himself against the onrushing hostile soldier, pushing the grenades against their chest and killing both the attackers. Mortally wounded while carrying out this heroic act, Petty Officer Benfold, by his great personal valor and resolute spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death, was directly responsible for saving the lives of his two comrades. Petty officer Benfold's exceptional courage, personal initiative, and selfless devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for others.” <<

 

USS Benfold (DDG 65):

 

30 Sep 1996-10 Jan 1997: Post-shakedown availability/drydock period, San Diego.

14 Aug 1997: After a year of systems trials and combat readiness inspections, Benfold departed for her first overseas deployment.

Oct-Dec 1997: Boarded and searched 19 ships in support of MIO duties. (explain MIO)

29 Apr-1 Jul 1998: Selected Restricted Availability (SRA), San Diego.

Aug-Nov 1999: MIO duties Arabian Gulf.

19 Feb-28 Apr 2001: SRA, Continental Marine, San Diego. (explain SRA)

Mar 2001: Deployed with Constellation Battle Group; served as Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Commander while in CentCom AOR.

May-Jul 2001: Boarded and searched 28 ships, including 3 non-compliant, and conducted six SAR ops; MIO duties in the Arabian Gulf.

2001: Participated in ex-John Paul Jones SinkEx.

Aug 2001: Operated as Air Defense Commander for Battle Group during two-day exercise off China.

3-22 Dec 2001: Served as Pacific Northwest Air Defense Picket Ship (Operation NOBLE EAGLE).

16 Apr-22 May 2002: Readiness Availability, Continental Marine, San Diego.

3 Apr-1 May 2003: Paired with Higgins (DDG-76) for Commander, Naval Surface Forces Sea Swap experiment. Benfold crew flew to Higgins while in SRA at Singapore in Apr 2003; Higgins crew took over Benfold on 1 May 2003.

20 Jun-27 Aug 2003: SRA, Continental Marine, San Diego.

 

… more DDG 65 history wanted …

 

… and patches …

 

 

 

 

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