Cpl Benjamin C. Dillon was KIA in Northern Iraq on Sunday.
We graduated from the same High School, 30 years apart. I went to High School with his Parents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.
An article about Ben can be found at: www.recordpub.com

RIP Ranger Buddy.

...and one for the Ranger in the sky!

RIP.

I would think that the Regt. could send someone from HQ to notify the family, rather than send a guy from the local National Gaurd. Do you know what that is all about Gumby?

Here is the Columbus GA Ledger article.

Benning Ranger dies in insurgent attack
Associated Press

--­--

RAVENNA, Ohio -- A soldier from Fort Benning's 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment was killed in Iraq when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.

Cpl. Benjamin Dillon, 22, of Edinburg Township, Ohio, died Sunday in northern Iraq, according to a military news release.

Dillon, who enlisted in the Army during his senior year at Southeast High School in Ravenna, had been assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

Dillon becomes the fourth Ranger to die in Afghanistan or Iraq since the first of this year.

He had been home in nearby Edinburg Township about three weeks ago, spending the break with family, chatting around campfires and racing four-wheelers through woods. He rarely spoke about his duties in the Middle East, said sister-in-law Julia Dillon.

"I don't think he wanted to worry anyone," she said.

Dillon played baseball, basketball and golf in high school. He graduated in 2004.

"Bad things aren't supposed to happen to such good people," said Bob Dunn, Dillon's high school basketball coach.

Ravenna is about 30 miles southeast of Cleveland.

quote:

Originally posted by ranger1stbat:
RIP.
Do you know what that is all about Gumby?

I've got no clue. I got the news from a High School buddy who lives in Fayetteville. He'd been called, Sunday night, by someone from home.
I last saw Ben's parents at a school reunion in 2000.
It's a very small, close knit area. Ravenna is actually, 10-15 miles away. The school district takes in five townships in the Southeast corner of Portage County but only has about 150 in the Senior class each year. Everyone knows everyone else. It's really hit the area hard.

Thanks Gumby I am sad to hear that. It just suprised me that the Regt. would not send a person or two with the body and to the family. Even in 20th grp when we lost guys or even had wounded we sent a person or two from his team if possible but from the company at a minimum.

RIP Ranger, you've done your duty.

I doubt if his remains are back in the States yet. He was killed Sunday (Afghanistan time) and his family was notified in the early morning (Ohio time) by an NG Officer. I think there is a 5 hour time difference. So they did the notification pretty quick.

I've asked some friends if they knew whether the Notiiication Officer was a family friend.
I'm guessing, they wanted the family informed before the news said a Ranger was killed and you'd have everybody wondering if he was their Son.

I know when my Son was in A-stan, then Iraq, I'd hear we'd lost a Soldier and almost hold my breath until the unit was announced.

I've had 12-15 calls from friends wanting to make sure I'd heard the news.

There's a strange connection here too.
The very first Ranger killed in A-stan, Mark Anderson, was from Alliance, Ohio. His High School Baseball Coach was Dave Clegg. Dave graduated from, and is now the baseball coach at Southeast High School, where Ben graduated. I went to school with Coach Clegg.