Woodbury athlete, war hero, to be honored at Relays
George Benjamin Jr. was a standout track and field athlete at Woodbury High School, class of 1935. Benjamin will be honored Saturday at the 44th annual Woodbury Relays but not for anything that he did as captain of legendary coach "Cap" Paine's track team at the little Gloucester County school.
George Benjamin Jr. was a standout track and field athlete at Woodbury High School, class of 1935.
Benjamin will be honored Saturday at the 44th annual Woodbury Relays but not for anything that he did as captain of legendary coach "Cap" Paine's track team at the little Gloucester County school.
Benjamin is the city of Woodbury's only Congressional Medal of Honor winner. He will be remembered for his heroism during World War II at a ceremony at the annual track and field carnival at the high school stadium.
Benjamin's son, Christopher, was 6 months old when his father was killed in action. Christopher Benjamin, 73, has decided to donate his father's medal to the city of Woodbury for display, according to Woodbury Relays assistant director John Carter.
The ceremony honoring Benjamin and marking the donation of the medal to the city of Woodbury is expected to include several members from Benjamin's 306th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, now stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga.
Lt. Col. Greg Cannata, commander of the 1st Battalion, U.S. Army 306th Infantry Regiment, is expected to attend the ceremony along with soldiers from the 306th, according to Woodbury Relays meet director Jim Mohan.
According to Benjamin's medal citation, he single-handedly led a charge against a well-defended Japanese stronghold on Dec. 21, 1944, on the island of Leyte in the Philippines.
The citation notes that Benjamin's charge "allowed the advance of his entire battalion, saved countless lives, and was a source of great and lasting inspiration to his comrades."
Benjamin was mortally wounded during the event. He is buried in the U.S. Army cemetery at Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines.
Benjamin was posthumously awarded the nation's highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, by President Harry S Truman in 1945.
Woodbury officials have formed a Benjamin Medal of Honor steering committee to determine where Benjamin's medal will be displayed, with plans to have the medal in place by Memorial Day of this year.
@PhilAnastasia
jerseysidesports