BENTON, GREGORY REA, JR.
Name: Gregory Rea Benton, Jr.
Rank/Branch: E2/US Marine Corps
Unit: Company D, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division
Date of Birth: 18 April 1950
Home City of Record: Vallejo CA
Date of Loss: 23 May 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 160700N 1072000E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 March 1991 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK in 2000.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: Greg Benton is an American Indian (the USG shows Benton as
Caucasian) and above all he wanted to do his part for his country. He has a
pin in his leg as a result of a car accident while delivering newspapers as
a boy. Because of the pin, Greg had to fight to get into the Marine Corps
and had a difficult time in boot camp because of it. But he badly wanted to
become a Marine.
When PFC Benton went to Vietnam, he was assigned to Company D, 1st
Battalion, 9th Marines in Vietnam. Like other soldiers in Vietnam, Benton
was overwhelmed by the death of his comrades. In a letter home he wrote:
"Death is slowly catching up with me, and I cannot avoid it much longer. I
dislike having my life end in this hole, but there is little I can do to
prevent it. Though my body may be weak and soft my spirit is strong and
bold."
On May 23, 1969, Benton was part of a security force evacuating casualties
at Quang Tri when his helicopter landing zone was overrun. A firefight
ensued, and when it was over, search efforts were conducted of the area. All
personnel were accounted for except for Benton. No trace was found. It was
not known whether he had been injured, captured, or killed. Benton was
classified Missing In Action.
When U.S. involvement the war ended in 1975, thousands of refugees fled
Vietnam to escape the communist regime, bringing with them stories of
Americans still in their country. Since then, over 10,000 such reports have
accumulated in U.S. agency files. Many experts, after reviewing the
information, believe hundreds may still be alive today, still prisoners.
It is not known if Benton survived the attack on the landing zone on May 23,
1969 or if he is one of those said to be still alive. If he is still alive,
he surely remembers and has lived by the Marine Corps slogan, "Semper
Fideles". He knows the importance his fellow Marines placed on recovering
even the dead from the battlefield. If he is alive, he must wonder why his
country has broken faith with him and why he has been abandoned. It's time
we brought our men home.
===============================
From - Mon Jul 10 17:03:48 2000
My name is Mary E. Benton and I am Greg's older sister and his Primary Next
of Kin as listed with HQMC.
I just wanted to correct a few mistakes. The reason the USG shows my
brother as Caucasian is because when we were born our parents registered us
as Caucasian because they were ashamed to be Native American in those days.
I have provided the Marine Corps and other government agencies with
documents to correct my brother's nationality to Native American. It is very
important because of the DNA testing. Greg's date of birth is April 18,
1950.
The quote you have: "Death is slowly catching up with me, etc." is actually
part of a poem Greg wrote while he was in Vietnam and sent to me.
On May 23, 1969 Greg had just come off a 4 hour patrol when 2nd squad was
ambushed down in the valley below hill 891 where Greg's squad was (3rd
squad). His squad went back down the hill to act as security while the two
dead marines and one wounded were loaded aboard the helicopter. Because the
enemy was still in the area, the squads were ordered back up the hill
immediately after the helicopter left and it was while the men were going
back up the hill from the valley that my brother disappeared. No one went
back down the hill for four hours to conduct a search because the enemy was
still in the area. They searched for approximately 45 minutes and could
find no trace of my brother. My brother is the only MIA from 3rd Marine
Division during the whole Vietnam conflict.
Two years ago I found 1Lt Larry McCauley and SGT Cecil Phillips who were
with my brother that day in Vietnam. Larry was my brother's Platoon
Command and Cecil was the Platoon Sergeant. They both feel that my
brother was captured by the NVA troops that were in the area. No shots
were heard after the initial incident and no trace was found of my
brother or any of his belongings.
I will be going to Vietnam for my brother's birthday on April 18, 2001
with Larry McCauley. I want to leave a Native American totem pole and a
plaque for my brother. I want to perform some Native American spiritual
ceremonies for him. I am going to try to find information about him
while I am in Vietnam.
Mary E. Benton
Thank you for all you have done for our men and women on the Wall.
My E-mail address is: pow52369@earthlink.net
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