Lendora had three sons in World War II at the same time. Her second son, Melvin was injured very badly in the stomach. He was in the hospital for months and for a year he could only eat baby food. He was walking down a street in Europe and a grenade was tossed into the group of men he was with. He was the only one that survived. Her youngest son, Bennie died in Holland.
Private Benjamin Sylvester Upon, 82nd AIRBORNE, 508th PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT, 2nd BATTALION, 3rd PLATOON, COMPANY D, 2nd SQUAD, BORN: 10 APRIL 1925, CAMP VERDE, ARIZONA, ENTERED SERVICE FROM; OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, 17 SEPT 1944, JUMPED "OPERATION MARKET GARDEN', IN HOLLAND.,22 SEPT 1944, KILLED IN ACTION ON THE WYLERBAAN ,in HOLLAND. BURIED: NETHERLANDS AMERICAN CEMETERY, MARGRATEN, THE NETHERLANDS, PLOT L, ROW 10, GRAVE 2
This letter was written to Mother when Bennie was 14 years old. He was living with his father at the time.
Santa Paula, Calif. Rt. 1 Box 191 A , January 4, 1939
Dear Mother,
I hope you are well. I am feeling great. We have dancing at school now. It has been raining for the last two or three days. It's been a good year with not much rain here. I am 5 feet 6 inches now, and weight 135 pounds. I hope you can read this terrible writing and spelling with sense in it. I just took a bath awhile ago. It is just about time to milk, and feed the horses. You should see the size of my shoes, they are nines. I have some hair on my chest. I will have to close. This is a poem I wrote.
Your loving Son, Bennie Upton X XX
MY POEM PEACE
TO THE BATTLE FIELD
AND TO THE PLACE OF DEATH
THE PLACE OF SCREAMING SHELL
AND WITH THE BATTLE OF DEATH
IT'S WAR WITH DEATH
AND PEACE WITH THE LIVING
SO TAKE MY ADVICE AND
LET IT BE PEACE.
It's not so good, but has a meaning B.H.
(WHEN YOU READ HIS POEM HE WROTE WHEN THERE WAS NO WAR AT THE TIME , AND YOU SEE HOW HE DIED FOUR YEARS LATER,YOU WONDER ABOUT LIFE'S PLAN. HE HAD QUITE AN INSITE ON WAR.) HE DIED "IN A PLACE OF A SCREAMING SHELL". MY COUSIN ALBERT CONDER FOUND OUT ABOUT BENNIE AFTER MOTHER'S DEATH. Mother thought Bennie was shot down landing in his parachute.

April 9, 1989
Dear Albert Conder: (his cousin)
This is written in response to a notice in 508 Parachute Infantry Regiment Ass. News Letter, of April, 1989, regarding Bennie S. Upton, who was killed in action in Holland on Sept. 22, 1944.
Bennie was a Bazooka man, with his best buddy Charles B. Tuttle. (Bazooka's required a two man team) in the third platoon of Co. D. His platoon leader was Lt. Sickler and his platoon Sgt. was a Sgt. Brey. I was in the third platoon of Co. D and got to know Upton and Tuttle. Like most of the G.I.s, I recall him being in excellent physical shape. Also, he was a neat looking soldier and always neat and sharp, with highly polished jump boots, which I know he was proud to wear.
IT WAS WHILE THE PLATOON WAS DUG-IN ON THIS SMALL ROAD (MOSTLY BEHIND HEDGES THAT WERE PLANTED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD) THAT BENNIE WAS KILLED WITH HIS BUDDY TUTTLE. THERE WAS A FARM SITE IN FRONT OF THEIR POSITION (WHICH WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A FOX HOLE BEHIND THE HEDGES) I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TARGET WAS (PROBABLY SOME ENEMY MOVEMENT AT THE FARM SITE).,BUT THEY FIRED A COUPLE OF ROUNDS FROM THE BAZOOKA. A LITTLE MORE THAN A HALF A MILE TO OUR FRONT WAS THE GERMAN RIECHWALD FOREST, WHICH WAS CRAWLING WITH GERMAN SOLDIERS, TANKS, AND FIELD GUNS. APPARENTLY A GERMAN TANK OR FIELD GUN OBSERVED THE FLASH FROM THE BAZOOKA. AN 88 MM ZEROED IN ON BENNIE'S POSITION, WHICH RECEIVED A DIRECT HIT. THIS IS VERY SAD TO SAY, BUT AS THE REST OF US SURMISED, THAT ALSO SET OFF THE BAZOOKA AMMUNITION THAT WAS STORED NEAR OR IN THE HOLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, NEITHER OF THOSE TWO BRAVE BOYS SUFFERED.
Lendora was the mother of six children, 3 boys and three girls.
Written by Patricia Ruth Major Miller, daughter of Lendora Ann Major