Alfred Benjamin

Alfred Benjamin was born on March 31, 1924, in Boston, Massachusetts, as the youngest of three sons of Rose and Sam Benjamin. Growing up during the Great Depression, he assisted his father in running a small convenience store and developed an early fascination with aviation through magazines he read. Determined to fly, Alfred prepared for the Army Air Corps by studying aviation manuals and passing a college equivalency exam at just 17.

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps at 19, he became one of the youngest navigators in the Eighth Air Force’s 384th Bombardment Group, based in Grafton Underwood, England. He flew 31 missions in a B-17, including eight as the lead navigator. On his 13th mission, Alfred’s plane was shot down over Gilly, Belgium. Understanding the danger he faced as a Jewish airman, he guided the aircraft to safety in Belgium and was rescued by local partisans. After recovering in European hospitals, he returned to complete 18 more missions. He was awarded the Purple Heart, five Air Medals, and was named a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor in 2012.

After the war, Alfred met Lorraine, whom he married in 1949. They spent 74 years together until her passing in 2024, raising three sons and enjoying the love of six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Ever resourceful and curious, Alfred taught himself engineering and electronics. He started a television repair business, built and maintained his own prefab home, and later ran a communications company, which he eventually passed on to his sons.

In retirement on Cape Cod, Alfred remained active in his community by crafting grandfather clocks, supporting Lorraine’s art, maintaining their home, running bingo games, and building an elaborate HO train layout. A lifelong Red Sox fan, he lived to witness their World Series victory in 2004.

Alfred Benjamin passed away on March 13, 2025, just a little over two weeks before his 101st birthday.