More detail on this person: LTC MILTON BENZ
(US Army Retired) died peacefully on November 2,
2012 at his home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He
is survived by his wife of 55 years, Donna; his
loving son and daughter-in-law, Harley and Suzie
Benz; beloved daughter and son-in-law, Vicki Benz
and Kevin Murphy; two beautiful grand children,
Davis and Mark Benz. Milton is survived by his
brothers, Lyle Benz of Estancia, New Mexico, John
Benz of Mound, Minnesota, Gordon Benz of Denver,
Colorado, and sister Pauline Townsend of Herrin,
Illinois. He is brother to the late Marval Fosse
of Hazen, North Dakota.
Born near Tosten, Montana in 1927, Milton's family
settled on a homestead south of Knife River near
the town of Hazen, North Dakota. Milton graduated
from Hazen High School at the age of 17 in 1944
and promptly entered the United States Marine
Corps, following his older brothers Lyle and John
into World War II. He served in the Pacific
Theater of the war, ending his tour of duty in
northern China. Milton spent an additional year in
China assisting in the repatriation of more than 1
million Japanese soldier back to Japan. Upon
completion of active duty, Milton returned to
North Dakota where he was hospitalized for many
months in a VA hospital in Grand Forks, North
Dakota with encephalitis contracted during his
tour of duty in Asia. Upon recovery, Milton
attended the University of North Dakota where he
obtained an undergraduate degree in business and
a commission in the United States Army. Following
graduation, fighting began in the Korean
peninsula, so Milton spent 3 years in Korea
serving as a 1st and 2nd Lieutenant infantry.
Following the Armistice, Milton returned to
civilian life to work on his Masters Degree in
Business Administration at the University of North
Dakota. During his studies he also obtained his
private airplane license. Because of a shortage of
military pilots, Milton returned to active duty to
attend US Army flight school.
Between wars and global security crises, Milton
married Donna Mae Hagen of Finley, North Dakota.
They had a son, Harley, born in 1957 and a
daughter, Vicki, born in 1958 both at Fort
Benning, Georgia. Milton served two tours in
Vietnam (1965 and 1968) as a combat helicopter
pilot. He was a highly decorated officer and
aviator earning the Combat Infantry Badge, 3
Bronze Stars, 12 US Army Air Medals and a Joint
Service Accommodation medal. His other service
medals include combat medals for World War II, the
Korean War and a Purple Heart. Milton retired from
active duty in 1975.
Upon retirement, Milton finally finished his
Masters in Business Administration at the
University of Missouri at Kansas City, some 20
years after starting it. He taught Business Law
and Accounting at Penn Valley Community College
from 1977 to 1992, when he retired for a second
time to move to Highlands Ranch, Colorado to help
raise his two beloved grand children, Mark and
Davis Benz of Golden, Colorado.
For the last 20 years he spent most of his time
hunting, fishing, hiking, making new friends,
traveling the world, helping Harley and Suzie
raise their two boys and helping daughter Vicki
with various projects. He and his beloved wife
travelled in Europe, North Africa, the
Mediterranean, Caribbean and North America. He
also participated in numerous field experiments
with his son and his colleagues through the
Volunteer for Science program at the United States
Geological Survey. He was widely regarded in these
field efforts for working longer and harder than
staff half of his age. He was also loved for
habitually paying for the field crews dinner, even
when they had their own per diem. He was also
active in Pheasants Forever, helping his dear
friend John Gorman of Yuma, Colorado to establish
hundreds of acres of new pheasant habitat in
eastern Colorado.
He was exceptionally close to his two
grandchildren having spent most of the last 20
years teaching them about all the things he loved
to do. They admired his incredible toughness and
thoughtfulness in caring for others. Always
putting the greater good ahead of his
self-interest. His many camping trips with them
were epic, usually involving enough food to feed a
battalion and all of grandkids friends. He leaves
behind two well-balanced men who are leaders in
his tradition and great outdoorsmen in their own
right.
He leaves behind many friends and family who
recognized him most for his unbounded optimism,
extraordinary sense of humor and eagerness to
always help others. His was an extraordinary life,
having witnessed much of the bad of the 20th
century and actively participating in shaping the
good.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, November
23, 2012 at ten o'clock in the morning at Olinger
Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6601 S Colorado Blvd,
Centennial, CO 80121.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association