8/18/2009
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Gunnery Sgt. Adam F. Benjamin, 34, of Garfield Heights, died Aug. 18, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Adam was a Gunnery Sergeant in the USMC and was an EOD Tech. He was in the midst of defusing an IED when it went off. He was serving one of several tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He will be missed.
Master Sgt. Adam F. Benjamin of Garfield, Ohio opted for boot camp instead of college after graduating from Garfield Heights High School in 1993. This had been a goal of his ever since he was a boy. Adam truly loved his job in the Marine Corps as an explosive ordnance disposal technician. He had a passion for military history and a passion for guns. He also had a playful side that always presented itself each time he was back at home with his siblings. The devoted brother and son would insist on having dinner with his mother whenever he was home on leave. Adam was deployed twice to Iraq, from February to October 2007 and again from February to September 2008. He received several awards, including, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals as well as various other personal and unit decorations. In addition to his mother and stepfather, Judy and Robert Watters, and his father, Frank Benjamin, he also leaves his siblings, Aaron, Amanda, Asa, Abram, Abigail, Amos, Amaryah, Aric, Anyah, Alexis and Allen.
Willie
August 15, 2025 at 2:02 pm
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
To the family of MSgt. Adam Benjamin,
I’m not sure if this will reach you, but I wanted to introduce myself. Adam knew me as Willie. He was attached to our platoon during operations in southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and specifically, to my vehicle.
What an absolute solid guy. He had this way of keeping us laughing one minute and then flipping that switch into a quiet, serious focus the next. Considering the job he did every single day, he had to carry both. I remember one morning, before we rolled out, he was giving us a hard time about how slow we were loading gear, cracking jokes that broke the tension, and then not an hour later, he was all business, spotting hazards the rest of us missed.
I’ve lost some of the details over the years, but I remember how many lives he saved in the weeks leading up to that horrific day. The man never hesitated, he’d be out there, fully exposed if it meant keeping someone else safe. He carried that kind of courage without making a show of it.
For a long time, I wished I could tell a family member about those moments, about him. Only recently have I found some peace with what happened out there. That place… it did a number on me. Honestly, there were days I didn’t think I’d make it home. But I’m here now, and I want you to know that on that day, he was right there with us, part of our crew, part of our fight, part of our lives.
These days, I run a small farm dedicated to helping other veterans with PTSD find a sense of peace, purpose, and community. It’s my way of honoring those we lost and making sure their legacy lives on in the people they fought alongside. Just yesterday, I made a sauce in remembrance of Adam — back then we called him Gunny Benjamin, now MSgt Benjamin, and while it may seem small, it’s my way of carrying his name forward in the things I create and the people I reach.
If you’re ever on Facebook, you can find me at W&M Victory Garden, that’s where I share what we grow, what we make, and the ways we honor those who gave everything.
Thank you all for your sacrifices and all that you do. Also I wanted to let you know Willie and everyone that has posted awesome things about my brother Adam. Please know that the comments and posts have not fallen on deaf ears and I really do appreciate everyone that has or is still serving our country today….. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
Still miss you all the time, almost 13 years after you had to leave us. Adam was an very special person and an awesome friend. He died doing what he loved and was put on this earth to do, protect people. Even tho his loss made a huge hole in lives of so many of us that knew him personally, his positive impact made a much larger one even on people who never got the chance to meet him. You will never be forgotten, your sense of humor and bright smile will live on in the hearts of everyone that knew you. The whole world is indebted to you for your sacrifice… from the deepest of my heart, thank you
Amazing tribute to your friend. May he rest in peace
Thank you Msgt Benjamin and his gold star family. I can’t imagine how proud you must be of your amazing son/brother and how painful it must be to have lost him so soon. I have no words to express my gratitude but always know your family is in my heart.