Col Arnold E. "Gene" Bench
COL ARNOLD E. “GENE” BENCH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Arnold Eugene Bench was born in Fordland, Missouri, on April 13, 1925, to James and Zula Bench. He was the youngest of four children. His father was a disabled World War I veteran, and the family became very close as they worked together, sometimes picking cotton, to survive the depression years. At age seventeen, Gene enlisted in the Marine Corps, and served in the Pacific during World War II, earning the rank of staff sergeant before his discharge following the war.
He returned home to attend the University of Missouri, earning a bachelor’s degree in math education and a master’s of education in guidance and counseling. While a student at the university, he met and married Ila May Kelley. After graduation, he returned to active duty, receiving his commission as second lieutenant in 1950. He eventually attained the rank of colonel.
Colonel Bench was a “Marine’s Marine” — dedicated, compassionate, loyal, and courageous. During his career, he served as an infantry officer in various positions around the world: guard officer in Naples, Italy; staff officer, 3rd Marines, 3rd Division at Camp Fuji, Japan; operations officer at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban missile crisis; Marine Officer Instructor at Oregon State University from 1963 to 1966; commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967; and Inspector General of the Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. Also during his career, he was selected to attend the prestigious National War College in Washington, D.C., and received a second master’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University.
He was awarded 21 medals, including the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with gold star and combat “V,” the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and the Purple Heart.
Colonel Bench had a tremendous influence on those around him. He was characterized by all who knew him as a firm but compassionate leader with an unparalleled wit and storytelling ability. One of his fondest memories was of the time he was the Marine officer instructor at OSU, and he noticed a student who had been attending both the morning and afternoon sessions of the same class. When asked why, the student responded, “Because you never tell the same stories to the different classes, and the stories are the best part of your lecture.”
Marines in the field recall him as a tireless and caring leader, affectionately referring to themselves as “Bench’s Bastards.” Several have told him that the principles of leadership they learned from him shaped their own careers – some military, and some civilian.
After retiring from military service in 1973, he worked as an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance for fifteen years, and was an area chairman with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for several years. He was an avid outdoorsman and a member of numerous organizations, including the Izaak Walton League, Silvies Club, Marys River Masonic Lodge 221, the Military Officers Club, bridge clubs, and Calvin Presbyterian Church.
He and Ila have two children: Rebecca Butler and David Bench, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Death by cancer came to Gene on June 22, 2001.
The leadership award, funded by the generous donations of Colonel Bench’s family, is presented annually to the OSU Marine student who most epitomizes dedication, professionalism, selflessness, and esprit de corps. The award includes a commissioning packet of Marine Corps emblems and rank insignia, and the recipient’s name is engraved on a plaque permanently displayed in the Naval Armory. The award may go to either a male or female student with selection criteria including, when possible, prior USMC service.
In 2005, the family expanded the endowment to also include a scholarship for a male or female Marine option student in his or her sophomore or junior year at OSU.