World War II Honoree

James Ray Benton

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Parkersburg, Sampson County, North Carolina

Honored By

The Benton Family

Relationship

Niece

A UNC student who answered the call to serve as an Army Paratrooper, he fought through the liberation of Europe. On June 6, four hours before H-Hour. and under the cover of night, he and his detachment jumped in a location behind Normandy Beach to pave the way for the invasion of France by destroying the enemy's communications and wrecking anything that would impede the enemy's attack. During Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, he miraculously survived being struck 17 times by German machine-gun fire. While he lost the use of his right arm, his survival is a legendary testament to the resilience of the American soldier. He returned home to North Carolina as a symbol of the profound sacrifice made by the "Greatest Generation." Some of the many awards and recognitions he received include the Purple Heart for the wounds he received in action; the Bronze Star Medal for heroic or meritorious achievement or service; the Army Good Conduct Medal for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal Military Service; the Distinguished Unit Citation: (Now known as the Presidential Unit Citation) to his unit for extraordinary heroism in action.