Benjamin Milton Grant
Military
Pilot
47th BG - 97th BS - 12th AF
Object Number - UPL 47786 - Benjamin Milton Grant Pilot 47th BG - 97th BS - 12th AF
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Twelfth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Twelfth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Engle Field
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Grandfield, OK | 13 September 1918 | |
|
Other Graduated Pilot Training - Silver Wings |
Luke Army Airfield, Arizona | 3 December 1942 | Rated Pilot Class 42-K |
|
Other 47th BG Combat Tour |
Youks-les-Bains Airfield, Algeria | 22 February 1943 - 28 February 1944 | Reported in North Africa. His tour took him to bases in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. |
|
Died |
Kennewick, Washington | 19 February 2014 | Benjamin M. (Ben) Grant, a local businessman, inventor, teacher and farmer in the Tri-Cities area for over 60 years, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2014 at the age of 95. Mr. Grant began his life in Grandfield, Oklahoma on September 13, 1918. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Animal Husbandry at the Oklahoma A&M College in Stillwater, the predecessor of Oklahoma State University. It was there that he met the love of his life and future wife, Alma. Their marriage was a true partnership for over 70 years until Alma predeceased him in 2011. Ben served with distinction in the Army Air Corps in World War II as a bomber pilot in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, flying 56 combat missions as part of what he considered to be his duty to his country. He returned from the war and moved to the Tri-Cities area, building one of the largest custom combining operations in the state. As part of that effort he worked with combine manufacturers, inventing new designs and methods to improve the performance of the equipment and enhance the comfort and productivity of the equipment operators. At the time of his death he held 7 US and 7 Canadian patents for his creative designs. Both Ben and Alma were strong advocates of the power and value of education in the lives of all people, but particularly farmers and members of the agricultural community. They demonstrated their commitment with hands on teaching and mentoring activities in the Tri-Cities area, and with financial support for local schools and for major college agricultural programs, particularly those of Oklahoma State University where they endowed several scholarships. |
|
Buried |
Kennewick, Washington | 22 February 2014 | Desert Lawn Memorial Park Kennewick, Benton County, Washington, US |
|
Other Graduated |
Stillwater, Oklahoma | Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University) |
Revisions
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130514246/benjamin-m.-grant
"47th Bomb Group" - Turner Publishing, page 78
