Spc. Benjamin J. Slaven of Plymouth, Neb., was a person who liked to help other people. On a recent Christmas he showed up on the doorstep of a local family and handed over his paycheck to them so they would have money to buy presents for their children. He was always giving, and he didn't expect anything back. He'd give a person his last $20 even if that meant he had to go without something else. Being in the military was one more way of giving back. He was proud of his military accomplishments and wanted to do his part to defend his country. Ben also enjoyed video games, scuba diving, motorcycles, working on cars and fishing. When his military career was over he had been thinking of going back to school for underwater welding. He graduated from basic training in 2005 and was deployed to Iraq in March of 2006. He was excited because he was expecting to be promoted to specialist soon and was hoping to work his way up to drill sergeant. Ben attended Cedar Elementary in Beatrice and Tri County Public Schools at DeWitt and later earned a general equivalency diploma from Southeast Community College. He also had certificates in welding and scuba diving. At the time of his deployment he was working at Beatrice State Developmental Center. Both of his parents served in the military, as did an uncle and two aunts. His sister, Misti was currently serving at an Army base in El Paso, Texas. He is the son of Bruce and Julie Slaven of Beatrice and Judy and Nick Huenink. He died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device at age 22.
Army
Reserves
308th Transportation Company
Lincoln, Neb.
Army
Reserves
308th Transportation Company
Lincoln, Neb.
Spc. Benjamin J. Slaven of Plymouth, Neb., was a person who liked to help other people. On a recent Christmas he showed up on the doorstep of a local family and handed over his paycheck to them so they would have money to buy presents for their children. He was always giving, and he didn't expect anything back. He'd give a person his last $20 even if that meant he had to go without something else. Being in the military was one more way of giving back. He was proud of his military accomplishments and wanted to do his part to defend his country. Ben also enjoyed video games, scuba diving, motorcycles, working on cars and fishing. When his military career was over he had been thinking of going back to school for underwater welding. He graduated from basic training in 2005 and was deployed to Iraq in March of 2006. He was excited because he was expecting to be promoted to specialist soon and was hoping to work his way up to drill sergeant. Ben attended Cedar Elementary in Beatrice and Tri County Public Schools at DeWitt and later earned a general equivalency diploma from Southeast Community College. He also had certificates in welding and scuba diving. At the time of his deployment he was working at Beatrice State Developmental Center. Both of his parents served in the military, as did an uncle and two aunts. His sister, Misti was currently serving at an Army base in El Paso, Texas. He is the son of Bruce and Julie Slaven of Beatrice and Judy and Nick Huenink. He died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device at age 22.
Army
Reserves
308th Transportation Company
Lincoln, Neb.
Army
Reserves
308th Transportation Company
Lincoln, Neb.
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