William K. Benjamin

William K. Benjamin’s Personal Narrative was derived from information found in public records, military personnel files, and local/state historical association materials. Please note that the Robb Centre never fully closes the book on our servicemembers; as new information becomes available, narratives will be updated to appropriately represent the life story of each veteran.

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Military Honor(s):

Distinguished Service Cross

Citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant William F. Benjamin (ASN: 1706230), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, A.E.F., at Chateau-Diable, near Fismes, France, 27 August 1918. Although severely wounded in the first minutes of a three-hour engagement, Sergeant Benjamin continued to lead his platoon with entire disregard of personal safety, and although suffering intensely from his wounds, he refused to be evacuated until the action was over and he had found cover for his men.

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Life & Service

Birth: 25 December 1888, London, United Kingdom
Place of Residence: Queens, NY, United States
Race/Ethnicity: Jewish American
Death: 26 September 1967 Volusia County, FL, United States
Branch: Army
Military Rank: Sergeant
Company: [H]
Infantry Regiment: 307th
Division: 77th

Personal Narrative

Early Life (Pre-War): Includes general parent information, sibling information, education

William K. Benjamin was born on 25 December 1888 to Russian parents, Sarah Abrams (1872-1923) and Barnett Benjamin (1867-1939), in London, England. He and his parents arrived in the United States between 1889-1900, settling in New York City, where siblings Francis (1891-?), Samuel (1893-1895) and Mary (1895-?) were born; afterwards, moving to Pennsylvania where Jeanette (1897-1979), Ida (1900-1916), Anna (1901-?) and Nettie (1902-1978) were born. The family remained in Philadelphia into the early 1900s, but were located back in New York City before 1905, where the final Benjamin child was born, Ben (1905-?). In the early 1910s, the family lived on Montieth Street in Brooklyn where Mr. Benjamin worked as a tailor.

William Benjamin attended Hebrew Technical Institute*, a vocational-technical high school located on Stuyvesant Street in New York, graduating in 1905. Afterwards, Benjamin worked as a mechanic and machinist, at one point for Carey Printing Co. (36^th and 10^th Sts.)

*Hebrew Technical Institute. Migration Memorials Project. “These premises housed the Hebrew Technical Institute Founded in 1884. A non-sectarian school. One of the first technical high schools in the United States. Last graduating class 1939. The school was conceived at a meeting of the United Hebrew Charities, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum and the Hebrew Free School Association for the purpose of training youths of immigrants in industrial arts.” https://migrationmemorials.trinity.duke.edu/items/hebrew-technical-institute

Service: Includes a summary of transfers, rank change(s), training, enlistment, and discharge locations

Benjamin enlisted in the U.S. Army on 10 September 1917 as a Private, assigned to Co. H, 307^th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division. He was promoted to Corporal on 1 November 1917 and Sergeant 1 January 1918. Sgt Benjamin and Co. H left New York on 7 April 1918 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Justicia. Sgt Benjamin received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Chateau Diable near Fismes, France on 27 August 1918;

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant William F. Benjamin (ASN: 1706230), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, A.E.F., at Chateau-Diable, near Fismes, France, 27 August 1918. Although severely wounded in the first minutes of a three-hour engagement, Sergeant Benjamin continued to lead his platoon with entire disregard of personal safety, and although suffering intensely from his wounds, he refused to be evacuated until the action was over and he had found cover for his men.”

The extent of Sgt Benjamin’s wounds are unknown, however, he was listed as being wounded in action “Severely”; he stated the following, “Wounded in left thigh August 27 1918 on the Vesle. At Hospital #28, in Blors, France”. Benjamin and Co. H left Brest, France on 21 April 1919 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship USS Louisville, arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey 30 April. Benjamin was Honorably Discharged on 9 May.

Later Life (Post-War): Includes post-war education, occupation, marriage(s) and/or children, location and date of death

Upon his return home, Benjamin lived with his parents on E 169^th St. in the Bronx, New York; he worked as a civil engineer. Benjamin married Edith Abrams (1894-1970) sometime around 1922, the couple had one child, Morton (1926-2013). In the 1930s, the family lived in Queens (3911 49^th St)- Benjamin worked as a proprietor of an office supply company (potentially located at 215 4^th Ave, NYC); the 1940s, living at 41-19 47^th St. By the end of the decade, the family lived at 73-36 Vleigh Pl., Flushing, Queens, New York.

Benjamin retired to Florida in the 1960s; he died in Volusia County on 26 September 1967, he and his wife are buried in DeLand Memorial Gardens, DeLand, Florida.