Son of the Reverend Thomas Oliver and Sarah Helen Rorie.
Ben attended Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas. After graduation, he enrolled and attended the Henderson State Teacher's College at Arkadelphia, where he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant from the ROTC Unit. He enlisted into the regular Army on 12/14/1940, at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, and received basic infantry training at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and several other installations. He attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. After one year of service as an infantry officer, Ben transferred to the Air Corps and received basic flight training at Kelly and Randolph Fields, Texas, and Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He received his pilot's wings on 8/5/1942 at Kelly Field. He was sent to the Aleutian Islands in mid-summer, 1943 and returned the continental United States in January of 1944. On 1/30/1944 he sailed for Italy and flew 65 missions flying P-47 Thunderbolt fighters with the 27th Fighter Squadron, 523d Fighter-Bomber Group, 12th Air Force. He was made commander of his fighter squadron on 4/9/1944. On 5/27/1944 while flying his 65th mission, he was shot down near Rome by enemy gunfire. He was buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery at Nettuno, Italy, 30 miles from Anzio. His body was repatriated after the war and returned to Arkanasa for private burial.
Ben was a lifelong member of the Methodist church and his father and grandfather were both Methodist ministers.
Captain Benjamin Lehman Rorie, Sn# O-388411, earned the following decorations for his service to the United Sates and the Allied cause in World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Purple Heart Medal
- American Defense Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with 4 campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Meritorious Unit Citation sleeve wreathe (now a ribbon)
Ben attended Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas. After graduation, he enrolled and attended the Henderson State Teacher's College at Arkadelphia, where he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant from the ROTC Unit. He enlisted into the regular Army on 12/14/1940, at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, and received basic infantry training at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and several other installations. He attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. After one year of service as an infantry officer, Ben transferred to the Air Corps and received basic flight training at Kelly and Randolph Fields, Texas, and Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He received his pilot's wings on 8/5/1942 at Kelly Field. He was sent to the Aleutian Islands in mid-summer, 1943 and returned the continental United States in January of 1944. On 1/30/1944 he sailed for Italy and flew 65 missions flying P-47 Thunderbolt fighters with the 27th Fighter Squadron, 523d Fighter-Bomber Group, 12th Air Force. He was made commander of his fighter squadron on 4/9/1944. On 5/27/1944 while flying his 65th mission, he was shot down near Rome by enemy gunfire. He was buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery at Nettuno, Italy, 30 miles from Anzio. His body was repatriated after the war and returned to Arkanasa for private burial.
Ben was a lifelong member of the Methodist church and his father and grandfather were both Methodist ministers.
Captain Benjamin Lehman Rorie, Sn# O-388411, earned the following decorations for his service to the United Sates and the Allied cause in World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Purple Heart Medal
- American Defense Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with 4 campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Meritorious Unit Citation sleeve wreathe (now a ribbon)
Son of the Reverend Thomas Oliver and Sarah Helen Rorie.
Ben attended Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas. After graduation, he enrolled and attended the Henderson State Teacher's College at Arkadelphia, where he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant from the ROTC Unit. He enlisted into the regular Army on 12/14/1940, at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, and received basic infantry training at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and several other installations. He attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. After one year of service as an infantry officer, Ben transferred to the Air Corps and received basic flight training at Kelly and Randolph Fields, Texas, and Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He received his pilot's wings on 8/5/1942 at Kelly Field. He was sent to the Aleutian Islands in mid-summer, 1943 and returned the continental United States in January of 1944. On 1/30/1944 he sailed for Italy and flew 65 missions flying P-47 Thunderbolt fighters with the 27th Fighter Squadron, 523d Fighter-Bomber Group, 12th Air Force. He was made commander of his fighter squadron on 4/9/1944. On 5/27/1944 while flying his 65th mission, he was shot down near Rome by enemy gunfire. He was buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery at Nettuno, Italy, 30 miles from Anzio. His body was repatriated after the war and returned to Arkanasa for private burial.
Ben was a lifelong member of the Methodist church and his father and grandfather were both Methodist ministers.
Captain Benjamin Lehman Rorie, Sn# O-388411, earned the following decorations for his service to the United Sates and the Allied cause in World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Purple Heart Medal
- American Defense Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with 4 campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Meritorious Unit Citation sleeve wreathe (now a ribbon)
Ben attended Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas. After graduation, he enrolled and attended the Henderson State Teacher's College at Arkadelphia, where he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant from the ROTC Unit. He enlisted into the regular Army on 12/14/1940, at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, and received basic infantry training at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and several other installations. He attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. After one year of service as an infantry officer, Ben transferred to the Air Corps and received basic flight training at Kelly and Randolph Fields, Texas, and Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He received his pilot's wings on 8/5/1942 at Kelly Field. He was sent to the Aleutian Islands in mid-summer, 1943 and returned the continental United States in January of 1944. On 1/30/1944 he sailed for Italy and flew 65 missions flying P-47 Thunderbolt fighters with the 27th Fighter Squadron, 523d Fighter-Bomber Group, 12th Air Force. He was made commander of his fighter squadron on 4/9/1944. On 5/27/1944 while flying his 65th mission, he was shot down near Rome by enemy gunfire. He was buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery at Nettuno, Italy, 30 miles from Anzio. His body was repatriated after the war and returned to Arkanasa for private burial.
Ben was a lifelong member of the Methodist church and his father and grandfather were both Methodist ministers.
Captain Benjamin Lehman Rorie, Sn# O-388411, earned the following decorations for his service to the United Sates and the Allied cause in World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Purple Heart Medal
- American Defense Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
- European Theater of Operations Medal with 4 campaign stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Meritorious Unit Citation sleeve wreathe (now a ribbon)
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
