It took more than 70 years, but the dog tags of and a symbolic flag for World War II hero Paul Bensman finally came home to Alton on Saturday afternoon.
Bensman’s dog tags and an American flag were delivered to the family by BentProp leader Pat Scanlon and company in front of a packed Marquette High School and Alton crowd consisting of family, friends, veterans and people from the community. Paul Bensman was 25 years old at the time of his death.
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KSDK-Channel 5 of St. Louis also was in attendance, putting a regional priority on the event.
Mary Lee Bensman and Sandy Budde were two of the leaders in orchestrating the event. Mary Lee’s father, Walter, brothers Gene and Paul, were the oldest of nine Bensman kids; all three served in World War II. Paul was in the same squadron of future president George Bush and was aviation ordinance man second-class, serving as a tail gunner on an Avenger aircraft.
Marquette High School Principal Mike Slaughter also played a big role in hosting the event in the beautiful new school Commons area.
“He flew on a few missions with George Bush,” Mary Bensman said. “His pilot Frances Waters was Bush’s roommate in pilot school. Paul was sent out on the first day of an assault on the Island of Peleliu in the Pacific and their plane went down on this island and all three men aboard were killed on Sept. 15, 1944.”
CNN’s Anderson Cooper was doing a segment with Scanlon and BentProp when one of Mary’s relatives figured out they had discovered the site of Paul Bensman’s crash. The family contacted Scanlon and eventually this day was arranged, Mary Bensman said.
BentProp Founder Paul Scanlon said this was an emotional day and the turnout to welcome Paul Bensman was the largest in his 22 years of working with BentProp. BentProp’s mission is to find the lasting remains of those lost in aviation battles.
“This is an unusual situation where we located the crash site; the Department of Defense investigated it and then we held a flag ceremony and we now delivered a flag,” he said. “The turnout is about the flag and symbolism and flag. It is a very emotional day and incredible to us the turnout in the community.”
Scanlon’s military career was that of an Army medical officer, then he became a medical doctor after his time in service. He became aware there were a lot of Americans missing in action and felt like that needed to change, so 22 years ago he started Bent Prop, investing his own money to locate those M.I.A.
When BentProp discovered where the crash occurred, no remains were found, but once the Department of Defense orchestrated an excavation of the area, Bensman’s dog tags were found.
Paul Bensman served a leg injury after a motorcycle accident and he had to battle to get into a branch of the service, finally getting in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Paul graduated from Marquette in 1939.
Principal Slaughter, the gracious host, beamed with pride when he started the program and said this was a great day to honor such a World War II hero.
The Alton Post 1308 VFW Ritual Team performed colors and a 21-gun salute to the fallen hero.
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