CPL BENJAMIN C. DILLON

September 16, 1985 - October 7, 2007

Rootstown, OH

3 rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
United States Army

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high “esprit de corps” of my Ranger Regiment... FIRST STANZA OF THE RANGER CREED

Cpl. Benjamin C. Dillon, 22, was a gun team leader assigned to3 rd Battalion, 75 th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga. He was born on Sept.16, 1985, in Rootstown, Ohio.

He was killed on Oct. 7, 2007, while engaged in combat operations against known enemies of the United States of America in Northern Iraq. He was a veteran of operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

After graduating Southeast High School in Edinburg, Ohio, Dillon enlisted in the Army from his hometown of Rootstown, Ohio, in September 2004 and completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning as an infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Indoctrination Program also at Fort Benning.

He graduated from the Ranger Indoctrination Program in March 2005 and was then assigned to 3 rd Bn., 75 th Ranger Regiment. He served there as a rifleman, grenadier, automatic rifleman, machine gunner and gun team leader. His last assignment was as a gun team leader.

Dillon’s awards and decorations include Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab.

He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal.

He is survived by his parents Terry and Linda Dillon, and brothers Nicholas (Julia) and Steven (Amy) all of Rootstown.

As a Ranger, Cpl Benjamin C. Dillon distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier light-infantry unit, traveled to all corners of the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism, and fought valiantly to “uphold the prestige, honor, and high ‘esprit de corps’” of the Ranger Regiment.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

I can't really give details about the bronze star other than they said he stopped a suicide driver from driving into the team while on a mission. He was on a mission with special forces groups. I know that I received many letters of condolences from Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force officers who had met Ben and gone on missions with him. Being a ranger they aren't allowed to talk about their missions. We started a memorial scholarship for the high school that graduated from and we give seniors any where from 250.-500.00 toward any higher education. We have held a memorial walk in memory of Ben. I have attached a flyer of the first one. We are a 503c nonprofit organization. The Cpl. Benjamin Charles Memorial Scholarship, Inc. Ben loved to play baseball and was a hot stove umpire in the summer after being to old to play. A hot stove early bird baseball tournament is held every spring in Ben's Name and the profit goes into his scholarship fund to date we have given over 10,000.00 dollars to 25 students.

Ben was the first Dillon in our family to get a tattoo. he always told us we were big sissy when we wouldn't get a tattoo. After his death, his best friend from high school came over and showed us his tattoo on his shoulders of wings with Ben name. Then his sister showed us hers with Ben name on a dog tag. It just escalated from there and we have over 40 or pictures of tattoos in memory of Ben. I attached one picture of his best friend from the rangers, Sean Card's tattoo in memory of Ben. He brought back Ben's body in ranger tradition to us from Iraq. the man in orange is Ben's Father, Terry, who has the ranger tab and scroll with Ben's initials on his arm.