Benjamin H. King

Benjamin Hardin King (December 9, 1919 - October 5, 2004) was a

Early life

King was born on December 9, 1919. He attended high school in Fayetteville, Arkansas before completing one year of college at the University of Oklahoma. Afterwards, he was employed as a welder.^[2][3]

Military career

On February 28, 1942, King enlisted as an aviation cadet in the

In February 1943, after completing transition training in the

After his recovery, King continued flying combat missions. On November 1, 1943, he scored his third and final aerial victory in the Pacific, when he shot down a Zero over

During World War II, King was credited with the destruction of 7 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. During his time with 347th FG and 358th FG, he flew P-38 and P-51s named 'Matilda', in honor of his mother.[6]

Post war

After the end of World War II, King commanded several fighter units over the next five years, including

During the

After returning to the United States in July 1951, he was appointed as commander of the 121st Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and served until November 1952. Over the next five years, he served in a variety of command and staff positions in the Air Force.^[1][9]

From January 1957 until July 1959, King was assigned as deputy commander and commander of

From May 1961 until March 1962, he served as commander of 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron and 4400th CCT Group at Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #9 in Florida, and in April 1962 he was assigned as commander of 1st Combat Applications Group at Eglin Air Force Base. During this time, he helped in the formation of

In August 1967, he became command inspector general at Headquarters Aerospace Defense Command at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado, and in January 1969 he became director of aerospace safety at the Office of the Deputy Inspector General for Inspection and Safety at Norton Air Force Base.^[1]

He retired from the Air Force on February 1, 1971.^[9]

Later life

King and his wife Maxine had a son and daughter. After his retirement from the Air Force, he lived in Arizona and later in Oregon. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995.^[12]

He died on October 5, 2004, at age of 84. During his memorial services, he was honored with a

Aerial victory credits

Date	#	Type	Location	Aircraft flown	Unit Assigned
July 17, 1943	2	Mitsubishi A6M Zero	Buin, Papua New Guinea	P-38 Lightning	339 FS, 347 FG
November 1, 1943	1	A6M Zero	Empress Augusta Bay, Papua New Guinea	P-38 Lightning	339 FS, 347 FG
September 11, 1944	2	Focke-Wulf Fw 190	Eisleben, Germany	P-51D Mustang	368 FS, 359 FG
September 11, 1944	1	Messerschmitt Bf 109	Eisleben, Germany	P-51D Mustang	368 FS, 359 FG
September 12, 1944	1	Bf 109	Gransee, Germany	P-51D Mustang	368 FS, 359 FG

SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II

Awards and decorations

He has accumulated more than 6,000 hours of flying time, including 1,146 combat hours logged in 400 combat missions. His decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 24 oak leaf clusters and Purple Heart, and the French and Belgian Croix de Guerre.

U.S. Air Force Command Pilot Badge
U.S. Air Force Parachutist Badge
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal	Silver Star	Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with three bronze oak leaf cluster	Purple Heart	Air Medal with four silver oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters (second ribbon required for accoutrement spacing)	Air Force Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster	Air Force Presidential Unit Citation with bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	American Campaign Medal	campaign stars
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze campaign stars	World War II Victory Medal	National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Korean Service Medal with silver campaign star	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal	Vietnam Service Medal with bronze campaign star
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon	Croix de Guerre with silver star (France)
Croix de Guerre with Palm (Belgium)	Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation	Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
United Nations Service Medal for Korea	Vietnam Campaign Medal	Korean War Service Medal

Silver Star citation

King, Benjamin H.

Major (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces

368th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force

Date of Action: September 11, 1944

Citation:^[8]

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Major (Air Corps) Benjamin Hardin King, United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action over Eisleben, Germany, while flying a P-51 fighter, 368th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, on 11 September 1944. Major King was escorting heavy bombers to their target when more than fifty (50) enemy fighters made a determined interception attack. Observing approximately fifteen (15) fighters attacking the rear echelon of bombers, Major King, supported only by his wingman, went to their assistance. Ignoring the enemy's advantage in strength, he successfully destroyed two planes. He then chased a FW-190 down to tree top altitude, expended the last of his ammunition as the aircraft hit the ground and exploded. Now flying alone and without ammunition, he got on the tail of another enemy plane and gallantly made an unsuccessful attempt to drive him into the ground. The outstanding courage and superior combat skill displayed by Major King during this action were an inspiration to his fellow pilots.

References