Daniel F. Benevento
Service Number: 42113944
Rank: Private First Class
Daniel was born Donato Francis Benevento in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 22, 1909 to parents Rocco and Anna Lucia “Lucy” (Desopo) Benevento. Daniel and his family were from Tricarico, a small town located in province Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy. Not sure yet of the reason he was born in Argentina, but he spent his younger years in Italy. "Dan" was third oldest of four children in the family. The eldest was his sister Maria “Mary" who was born in 1898, then came brother Antonio “Anthony,” who was born in 1900. The baby of the Benevento children was Joseph, born in 1912.
Political, social, and economic unrest was growing by the day in Italy. The Italian government was allocating more of the nation’s resources to industrialize the north rather than share in the development of prosperity with the south. This resulted in an unfair tax burden to residents living in the southern part of the country. Instead of facing the prospect of a worsening poverty level, many chose to emigrate to the United States. It was the hope of obtaining the “American Dream.”
Rocco had decided to move the family to the United States in hope for a better life. He would go first and find steady work so he could pay for passage for the rest of the family to later make the voyage. In June 1900, he arrived in New York where he was listed as a carpenter by trade. Rocco returned to Italy in 1911 and one year later, he would voyaged back to America. This time, he stayed with his nephew, Pasquale who had recently emigrated himself, living in Newark, New Jersey. Pasquale would not stay there long and moved to Camden, New Jersey. Rocco would remain in the Newark saving his pay in hopes to bring the rest of his family to the new world.
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| SS Guglielmo Peirce |
By late summer of 1921, Rocco officially became a United States citizen. He had secured passage for his family to make the voyage. On September 10th, Lucy, Mary and 12 year-old Dan departed from the port of Naples and journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the SS Guglielmo Peirce, arriving at Ellis Island on September 25th. Lucy and Dan were briefly detained for a few hours but were granted admission into the country. Rocco would sail back to Italy in 1928 to bring Antonio to the United States and reunite the family. By 1922, the Beneventos had moved to 839 South Third Street in Camden, New Jersey; only a few doors away from Pasquale.
Mary became engaged to a local Camden man, Frank Siazzuzo in 1923 but broke off the relationship after he had threatened her. He showed up at Benevento residence and demanded she return the jewelry he had bought for her. Rocco met the man out on the street and explained to him to call the house to arrange a pickup of these articles. He also told Frank to stay away from his daughter. An argument ensued and quickly escalated to exchanging blows with each other. Siazzuzo pressed charges against Rocco for assault and battery but the trial ended with an acquittal for Benevento. Mary later met Angelo Tancredi, a plasterer who was originated from Italy as well. The couple later married in Camden on September 9,1925. The Tancredis would move up to Newark and start a family.
At age 16, Dan and a friend Ollie Oblori had been reading all about the exploits of Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill and the scouts of the plains. They obsessed with all things that pertained to the tales and exploits of the old Indian fighters and concluded that there was nothing in the wide-world so worthwhile as life in the "wild and wooly west."
The two began scrounging for money with big plans in mind. After saving up $10 a piece, the boys purchased sombreros, and toy pistols saving the rest for travel expenses. On the evening of January 21, 1925 it was time to make their move. After going to up to his bedroom, Dan opened up his window and climbed down the rain spout and landed on a pile of ice in the back yard. He met up with Ollie and the boys set off across the ice covered Delaware River to Philadelphia. Once in the city, they proceeded to the Reading Terminal to await a train that would transport to the land of bucking broncos and herds of wild buffalo.
A police officer patrolling in the area of the station noticed the two boys adorned in their western attire huddled on a bench. He naturally inquired as to what they were doing out at that hour. After an explanation, the officer marched the boys to the precinct and notified Camden police of the situation and to contact the youngsters' parents. The Camden patrolmen arrived at the Benevento home and knocked on the front door. Lucy poked her head out the window and the policeman asked if she knew the whereabouts of her son Daniel. "Why, he's asleep in bed, but wait a minute" she answered. Lucy went up to Dan's room and discovered he was not there. After the officer explained why he was there, she exclaimed "What, Dannie arrested as a runaway?" The parents went to the police station in Philadelphia and returned the two wayward boys back home. A dejected Dan asked his folks, "Oh gee, what's the use o' tryin' to be a red-blooded man?"
Years later, Dan would meet a girl by the name of Helen Melnychuck who lived at 1837 Salem Street in Camden. The two would take a road trip in mid-August 1934. There were a few details that complicated their romantic getaway. Helen was only 16 years old. Additionally, she failed to fill her parents in about this excursion. After being missing for a week, the two re-appeared in the area on August 19th. Dan was parked in his car near his family's South Third Street house with Helen. Camden Police Detective Robert Ashenfelder approached the two and placed them under arrest. She was charged with being incorrigible by her mother and Dan, age 24 was charged with harboring a minor. Both were held without bail in the city jail to await a hearing the next day. Detective Ashenfelder traced the couple's movements to Atlantic City and other points in South Jersey. After the hearing, Helen was sent to a detention home to await action in juvenile court. Dan was released in custody of his attorney, Angelo Di Persia. Dan and Helen would continue their relationship and go on to marry. On December 4, 1935, they welcomed the birth of a son, Daniel Francis Benevento Junior.
The Selective Training and Service Act was enacted on September 16, 1940. This was the first peacetime conscription in U.S. history, requiring men between the ages of 21 and 36 register with their local draft board. Exactly one month after this enactment, Dan registered with Camden City draft board #9. This particular board was headquartered at the Kaighn School on Newton Avenue. According to the information on his registration card, he stood at five-foot-four inches tall, weighed 129 pounds, had grey eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. By this time, Dan was working for Ruggles Real Estate and Building Contractors company, located at 1019 Sycamore Street in Haddon Heights.
On the evening of March 7, 1942, Dan was driving his car along Ferry Avenue in Camden. A person suddenly appeared out in front of the moving vehicle as he neared Charles Street. There was no time to swerve to avoid the pedestrian. Dan slammed on the brakes but it was too late. The car struck William T. Plum of 1177 Sheridan Street. Plum, age 74 was walking home after working a shift at the New York Ship Company. He had been a long-time employee who had previously retired, but was asked to return due to the increased warship production as the United States entered World War II. Dan loaded the injured man into his car and rushed him to West Jersey Hospital. Plum was diagnosed with a fractured right leg and severe head trauma. Dan told police that the incident had been an accident. He explained that the man had just stepped out from between two parked cars. Benevento was taken into custody and held on $500 bail pending the outcome of William’s injuries. It is unknown how long Benevento ended up being detained, but Plum would eventually perish on April 2nd at the hospital from the injuries he sustained at the collision. Dan and Helen Benevento were living at 249 Chestnut Street in Camden at this time. He was also employed at the New York Ship Company but it is unknown if Dan and William had known of each other.
Helen and Dan had been part of a 5-person committee in Camden during fall of 1942. The group was headed by Nicholas Villano and included Grace Matwiejewicz, Albert Vilano, as well as the two Beneventos. They sponsored the dedication of a service flag which hung on Chestnut Street between Third and Locust Streets. At 2:30 in the afternoon of October 25, 1942, the ceremonies kicked off to honor Michael Sandone, John Daniello, Bart Paradise, Ralph Natale, John, Arthur, Albert and Carl Morrell, William Hunley, James Mitchell and E. Kay Brown. These 11 men had lived the neighborhood and were now serving in the armed forces. Speakers at the dedication included Camden Mayor Brunner, Reverend Michael Argullo of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and a few other invited guests.
Some time between winter of 1942 and fall of 1943, the family moved to 202 Baird Avenue in Mount Ephraim. They would join the parish at Sacred Heart Church in town and attend mass each Sunday. On September 1, 1943, the couple's second son, Stephen was born. About a month after Stephen's birth, Dan and Helen must have gotten into an argument which ended up in a physical altercation. Dan was arrested and charged with atrocious assault and battery on his wife. He was sentenced to one-to-two years of incarceration. On October 7, 1943, he was brought before Judge Sheehan, who suspended his sentence and instead placed him on a probationary term of 3-years.
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| 202 Baird Avenue |
Following the exam, the men returned to the mess hall for lunch. The afternoon was spent marching and formation drills. By 3:30 P.M., the Company was dismissed and returned to the barracks to organize their belongings and report back for dinner at 6:30 P.M. Unfortunate souls would catch the much dreaded “KP” (kitchen patrol) duty. From 7 to 11 P.M., recruits were free to unwind. The routine for day 3 was much like the previous day. Up at the crack of dawn, and fall into formation. Getting ready for the Army life.
After breakfast, the recruits took an IQ test and an interview to determine what job classification each man would be assigned to. They would also sign up for the G.I. life insurance policy which provided $10,000 to a soldier’s beneficiary if the applicant was killed in action. Dan boarded a train at Fort Dix with other recruits having absolutely no idea of the next destination. This was just another thing these men would learn about the Army.
After a few days of travel, the train finally arrived at an Army Infantry Replacement Training Center in the southern United States where Dan began basic training. Here, the new recruits spent 15 weeks learning how to be a soldier. Private Benevento was officially assigned to an Infantry Training Battalion. He would spend the first five weeks listening to lectures about military courtesy, sex hygiene, mines and booby traps, first aid for soldiers, map reading, marksmanship and other fundamentals.
Next, Dan trained with the M-1 "Garand" rifle, the M-1 carbine rifle, the Browning Automatic Rifle (B.A.R), the .30 caliber machine-gun, a 60mm mortar, hand grenades, and the bazooka. He took to the firing range to qualify on all of these weapons. The men of the battalion then continued their training on various tactical operational courses on overhead artillery fire training, village fighting, bayonet instruction, and an infiltration course where all weapons were loaded with live ammunition.
At the completion of his training, Dan would have had 10 days leave and returned to see his family. Helen would have still not given birth as this would have been some time around the end of July. Anthony, the couple's third child, was born on October 2, 1944. After Dan's leave, he then traveled via train to the Army Ground Force Replacement Depot #1 at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. This was one of only two Army installations in the country where soldiers gathered to be shipped overseas as replacements for men who had been killed, wounded, reassigned or discharged. Here, the commanding officers made sure these soldiers were adequately prepared. The men were kept active to maintain their mental and physical conditioning sharp. Additional training, weapon proficiency checks, physical examinations, and inoculations were all performed to make sure the troops were fit for overseas duty.
Soldiers would not be granted liberty from the base as their date of embarkation was imminent. In fact, they could not have visitors, make telephone calls, or send letters to family and friends until they got to their next destination. Large movement of troops towards ports had to be conducted in secrecy to prevent alerting foreign agents and possible sabotage acts.
Private Benevento would then head by rail up to an army camp where soldiers were billeted for anywhere from a day to several weeks awaiting their assigned date to ship out overseas. It is still not known which camp and port Daniel was sent to. It was most likely either Camp Kilmer, near New Brunswick, New Jersey or Camp Shanks in Orangeburg, New York — close to New York City. In early January 1945, the soldiers were transported by rail to Jersey City and then ferried across the Hudson River to a pier in Brooklyn where their troopship was moored. The men walked the gangplank to board the ship and sailed off later in the day.
Twenty years had passed since Dan had dreamed of venturing off to a far-away land to battle the bad guys with guns drawn. This dream was now becoming a reality, although not quite the way he had planned. Dan had no idea of his destination, but probably figured out he was headed for Europe.
The ship arrived in the United Kingdom and the troops disembarked. Dan was detailed to a stockage depot for a day or two. He would then be shuffled off to a “package” area to be placed into a smaller group of replacement soldiers. The group was soon taken across the English Channel by ship to La Havre, France, where they were assigned to the 15th Replacement Depot of the Ground Forces Reinforcement Command. Daniel was moved to the 21st Replacement Battalion, a forward depot located just to the rear of the forward troops.
The life of a replacement soldier would be one of anxiousness and depression. He could hear the sound of gunfire and explosions of artillery in the distance. The war was getting closer and closer for Private Benevento. All there was to do was hope that his training payed off while await his turn on the front lines. He would not have to wait long.
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| 253rd Inf. Regiment Crest |
He was quickly thrown into action. The Forty Thieves attacked the town of Auermacher the next day and had occupied it after extensive house-to-house fighting. The next day they followed up “B” Company into Kleinblittersdorf and mopped up some pockets of resistance throughout the town. The Thieves continued their attack north on February 24th to Bübingen.
In the early afternoon of March 3rd, Company “C” was to advance into the woods overlooking Kleinblittersdorf to seize and hold a quarry that the was occupied by German soldiers. By evening they had entered the quarry and cleared the southern half despite heavy artillery and mortar fire. Progress was slow into the next day. The Thieves had advanced only 200 yards in while dodging bullets and artillery fire. The quarry was finally taken on March 5th.
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| 63rd Inf. Reg. Patch |
"By direction of the President of The United States of America, the Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to : Company C, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division for outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy from 3 to 5 March 1945 at the rock quarry northeast of Bubingen, Germany. This quarry, the dominant terrain feature in the area and the last main enemy defense before the Siegfried Line, with its sheer cliffs, maze of tunnels, piles of loose rock and covered routes of approach which greatly favored the defenders, was assaulted at 1400 on 3 March 1945 by Company C, in conjunction with an attack by the 1st Battalion, 255th Infantry, attacking on the left to secure the woods northeast of the quarry. While attempting to seize the northern end of the quarry, they were halted for 2 days and nights by concentrated enemy mortar and machine-gun fire and suffered tremendous losses. At the same time, two companies on the left had been unable to advance because of the overwhelming fire power directed at them from the northern end of the quarry. On the night of 4 March, reconnaissance patrols from Company C succeeded in location some the the well camouflaged machine-gun positions. Later that night, the company with less than one-quarter of its original strength and the men exhausted by 2 days and nights of violent action, renewed the attack. With great valor, skill, and determination, the assault was pressed home and the final heights were carried. The extraordinary courage, fidelity, and tenacity of purpose in pressing the attack and capturing the vital enemy position and the highest credit on the officers and men of Company C, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division and the armed forces of the United States."
March 12th, the Forty Thieves added new reinforcement soldiers and moved north towards Fechingen. There they prepared for Operation “Undertone” which was the attack against the Siegfried Line. Their role in this operation was to create a diversion by attacking a wooded area west of Ensheim, a town about 3 kilometers northeast of Fechingen.
At H-Hour (1:00am) on March 15th, the Thieves moved across an open meadow towards the woods when a German artillery barrage opened up on the woods and its approaches. The men advanced through this shelling and endured six hours of combat capturing 75 prisoners. That morning, the Forty Thieves were ordered to withdraw to their original position due to a successful diversionary mission. During this operation, Benevento and 2 others were wounded. It is unknown when he returned to his outfit so I will continue with what happened with his company.
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| Marlene Dietrich at Siegfried Line Mar. 1945 |
On the afternoon of March 28th, the 63rd Division crossed the Rhine River over a heavy pontoon bridge at Rheindurkheim. They assembled a few miles north of Mannheim in Vierheim. Two days later, “C” company was transported east to the vicinity of Ladenburg on the backs of tanks from the 753rd Tank Battalion. They reached the Neckar River, where a footbridge was recently completed. The tanks were unable to cross this bridge, so the Forty Thieves dismounted and crossed on foot and entered Heidelberg by the afternoon.
March 31st, they proceeded south to Neckargemund, where they encountered house after house displaying white flags hanging from each window. Neckargemund was the site of a warehouse containing vast cases of champagne. Most of the men of the 1st Battalion, 253rd Regiment had never tasted champagne, but they all agreed that it was the best “lemon pop soda” they had ever drunk. Needless to say, the troops got very drunk that night in Neckargemund. The 63rd Infantry Division HQ moved east to Aglasterhausen. The trail was clearly marked by empty champagne bottles strewn along the route.
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| 63rd ID Engagement Apr 4-12 |
The following morning, the group tried advancing from the woods and up into the hillside. In doing so, they exposed themselves while crossing into wide-open fields forward of their current position. They were quickly pinned down by artillery, mortar and small arms fire coming from the higher ground until nightfall. They were only able to move after the German artillery was silenced from above thanks to a group of P-47 “Thunderbolts." The American aircraft bombed and strafed the enemy gun positions in nearby Degmarn and Oedheim.
By April 6, additional units from the 63rd Infantry Division attacked enemy positions that had pinned them down. The Thieves moved out and followed a creek through open fields where they “dug-in” to an area southwest of a small farming village of Kressbach by evening. Kressbach was described as a very small village of perhaps fifteen or twenty houses and barns, which supported the farming area surrounding the town. About five hundred yards distant, was the forest edge of the Harthäuser Woods. To the west of town was the open farmland, in which the men were pinned down during the prior day. There was a small stream that emanated from the woods, cutting through the fields and south of the village before eventually draining into the Jagst River.
It was a cold and rainy day on April 7, 1945. Company “C” had occupied Kressbach by morning. In the afternoon, the Forty Thieves plus a five-man machine gun squad were directed to proceed from town through the open field and head east. The first squad was in the lead with scouts very far out ahead. The squad was spread as wide as possible with one half of the men on one side of the creek and half on the other. The menacing edge of the woods was on their right. Little did they know, the enemy was silently awaiting them.
German troops from the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division watched closely from their positions in the Harthäuser Woods and held their fire as the Forty Thieves spanned out in front of them. The platoon members on the south slope of the field were only fifty yards in front and moving eastward across their line of fire. It was imperative that the defenders conserve their fire since their ammunition was nearly depleted. The first squad scouts from the Forty Thieves were approximately one thousand yards from town, and the rest about four hundred yards out when the Germans opened up on their positions. Machine gun and rifle fire suddenly rang out, cutting down the Thieves on all sides.
The soldiers scrambled for cover. they found only place which afforded any protection was the creek which ran through the center of the field. Those who were close enough to the stream dove in and established covering fire. Anyone more than twenty yards from this stream were wounded or killed outright. The spring-fed water of the creek was very cold in early April and only ran about a foot deep. The height of the earthen berm along the creek ranged from about eight inches at its lowest point and up to three foot high. Soldiers who were fortunate enough to dive in for cover still had to crawl through the freezing water.
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| German residents carrying American soldiers from 1st Bat., 253rd Inf. Reg. who were killed in Kressbach. |
During this ambush, PFC Daniel Benevento was killed along the creek after he was struck by gunfire in the left side of his chest. Platoon 1 of Company “C”, 253rd Infantry Regiment lost twenty-four members. Seventeen men were killed and seven had been wounded. The Forty Thieves had been reduced to just nine.
Benevento was listed as Missing in Action from April 7th until April 23rd, when he was finally positive identified. The War Department had sent a telegram to Helen Benevento dated April 20, stating Daniel was listed as missing in action. Daniel’s sister, Mary had written to the Army so find out where her brother was buried. She was reassured that Daniel was interred in a United States Military Cemetery in Germany that was guarded by American soldiers.
Benevento was originally buried on the afternoon of April 10th, 1945 in a temporary U.S. Military Cemetery in Bensheim, Germany. On September 19 1945, he was disinterred from Bensheim and transferred to the U.S. Military in St. Avold, France. The Army sent a request to Helen as to her wishes of where to have her husband buried. At the time, she could have him returned to the United States or buried in an American military cemetery with other fallen comrades in Europe. The decision was made to have PFC Daniel Benevento permanently buried in Plot B, Row 22, Grave 52 at Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold France on April 20, 1949.
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| Benevento Grave Marker |
Daniel would receive the Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman Badge posthumously. He was survived by his wife, children, parents, and his siblings.
To end this story, here is a poem that Helen had published in the Courier-Post on the first anniversary of Daniel’s death:
In sad and loving memory of my husband Daniel Benevento, killed in action April 7, 1945.
The face I loved is now laid low,
His loving voice is still.
The hand so often clasped in mine,
Lies now in death’s cold chill.
I often sit and think of him
When I am all alone.
For memory is the only thing
That grief can call its own.
Sadly missed by Wife and Sons.
May their sacrifice never be forgotten.
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