Ben Dillon: A Young American Face In History
Allow me to introduce you to my son-in-law’s good friend since childhood …
Benjamin Charles Dillon was born in a small Ohio country town on September 16, 1985. He was born into a huge family with plenty of brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles. The locals joke that the Dillon Family own their own corner of Portage County.
“Benni” grew up running, climbing, fishing, hunting and doing everything a young country boy does free and without a care in the world, or perhaps even an inkling of how he obtained that freedom and carefree gift … except perhaps what he had learned in history books in school. Until he graduated high school and decided he did now understand the process, post 9-11-01, by which his family and all the families in this great nation acquired and sustained those freedoms he, and all, so love and cherish in this country for so long …
Benni saw the threat to that freedom and joined the Army … The Army Rangers. This sweet-faced “little brother” of a small country town in Ohio decided the company of bad-asses is where he had to be … and they were damn lucky to have him.
The rest is Benni Dillon history … A history that is repeated with every son of America that has and still does serve this great nation.
My very favorite picture is the one of Benni napping on the rock cliff … all in stride.
After Benni’s death ALL the Dillon men, and some of the gals, got Army Rangers tattoos. To this day Benni’s Rangers Company stay in touch with and even invade the country home of Ben’s family … where they are treated like the brothers they were … are to Benni. They too are Dillon sons …
The Dillon Family, while heartbroken, have treated Benni’s death as a gift … Not to them, but to the country … an ultimate gift of sacrifice.
Benni Dillon, a Young American.
United States Army Ranger Cpl. Benjamin (Benni) Dillon, 22, was killed in action Oct. 6, 2007 by insurgent gunfire in northern Iraq during his fourth tour of duty in the Middle East.
“There’s a reason Ben came into our lives,” a fellow soldier said. “On the day of his death, I never knew such pain, but now I know the joy in knowing I’ll see him again … If there was laughter, we knew Ben was in the center of it.”
His aunt Beverly, who held him during the “scary parts of ‘E.T.’” when he was a child, said they marveled at the amount of “real” mashed potatoes he ate — three platefuls — when he was home on leave.
Southeast High School Assistant Principal Bob Dunn sobbed as he spoke of an impromptu dunk contest in which a young Ben Dillon wanted to partake. “I said, ’sure, Ben, but you’re down here and the hoop is here,’” Dunn said, indicating height with his hand. “Ben had a player get on all fours near the hoop. He grabbed a ball and went down the court. He ran down the court, jumped onto the player’s back and dunked the ball. We cheered like it was the national championship.”
Cpl. Dillon’s parents, Terry and Linda, were presented with his awards — a meritorious service medal; a Purple Heart for wounds he received Oct. 6; and a Bronze Star.
A gray hearse carried him to Edinburg Cemetery. The hearse, which was followed by Rolling Thunder, a motorcycle group for veterans, and hundreds of cars, slowly traveled west on Tallmadge Road, passing numerous people holding American flags and banners proclaiming Cpl. Dillon to be a hero.
On S.R. 14, fire trucks from numerous area departments lined both sides of the road. At one point, the buckets of two of the trucks were raised, creating an archway over the road, an American flag hanging from the top of the arch. The firefighters, most dressed in crisp white shirts and dark pants, stood at attention when the hearse drove by them.
Amid hundreds of people, several members of the U.S. Army Rangers and numerous veterans, Cpl. Dillon was laid to rest at the cemetery.
“Freedom isn’t free,” his aunt Debbie said. “All give some and some gave all.”
Record-Courier
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Great tribute.
From one Small town Ohio country boy to another, thanks for your service Ben. Hes probably up there guarding the gates right now
May 26th, 2008 at 8:43 am“…We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother….”
- Shakespeare’s Henry V
May 26th, 2008 at 9:01 am
We few who have suffer many great hardships so that the many can live FREE from Tyranny….. 
May 26th, 2008 at 9:08 am