{"id":2675,"date":"2020-02-05T20:26:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T20:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/?p=2675"},"modified":"2021-06-13T17:51:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-13T17:51:00","slug":"elliott-marshall-benson-passed-away-january-29-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/?p=2675","title":{"rendered":"Elliott Marshall Benson passed away, January 29, 2020."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elliott Marshall Benson was born on April 30, 1958 and passed away on January 29, 2020.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"397\" height=\"574\" src=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/EHSC-of-76-Part-3-19.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2677\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/EHSC-of-76-Part-3-19.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/?attachment_id=2677\" class=\"wp-image-2677\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/EHSC-of-76-Part-3-19.jpg 397w, http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/EHSC-of-76-Part-3-19-207x300.jpg 207w, http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/EHSC-of-76-Part-3-19-150x217.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"153\" height=\"239\" src=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5e3efe2af1fcc.image_.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"2684\" data-full-url=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5e3efe2af1fcc.image_.jpg\" data-link=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/?attachment_id=2684\" class=\"wp-image-2684\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5e3efe2af1fcc.image_.jpg 153w, http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5e3efe2af1fcc.image_-150x234.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 153px) 100vw, 153px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>M<strong>onument, Colo., formerly Sioux City<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott\n Marshall Benson, U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.), 61, of Monument, formerly \nSioux City, seasoned veteran of General Motors and loving husband, \nfather, grandfather, son and brother, passed away unexpectedly from \nnatural causes on Jan. 29, 2020, in Monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A\n service will be held in early Spring at the United States Military \nAcademy in West Point, N.Y., where he will also be laid to rest. Please \nreach out to the family for more details if you would like to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\n was born in Worthington, Minn., on April 30, 1958, to Roger Lansing \nBenson and Betheen Louise (Smith) Benson. He grew up in Sioux City, and \ngraduated from East High School in 1976.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Col.\n Elliott M. Benson\u2019s military journey began as a cadet at the United \nStates Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. He entered active duty in \nMay of 1980, after receiving his commission from USMA. After completing \nthe Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course and the Rotary Wing \nAviator Course, he was assigned to the 503rd Aviation Battalion, 3rd \nArmored Division, Hanau, Germany, serving as Platoon Leader and \nAssistant S-4. Following the Air Defense Artillery Officer Advanced \nCourse, the Aviation Maintenance Officer Course and the Aviation \nMaintenance Test Pilot Course, he served as Aviation Maintenance Officer\n for the Air Defense Center Aviation Detachment at Fort Bliss, Texas. As\n an aviator, Elliott flew the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, also known as the \n\u201cHuey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\n left active duty in March of 1987, and joined an aviation regiment at \nSelfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. He held numerous command \nand staff positions in the Army Reserve. Command assignments included \nCompany A, 3-158th Aviation Battalion; 1-339th Regiment (Infantry), 84th\n Division (Institutional Training); and 3rd Battle Training Group, 1st \nBrigade, 85th Division (Training Support). Staff and training \nassignments have included Aviation Training and Standardization Officer \nfor the 123rd Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) and the 86th ARCOM; \nObserver\/Controller for 1st Brigade, 85th Division (Training Support); \nand Combat Arms Branch Chief for 3rd Brigade, 75th Division (Battle \nCommand Training).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His \nmilitary leadership culminated when he assumed command of 4th Brigade \n(Combat Service Support), 100th Division (Institutional Training) in \nNovember 2007. The brigade was reorganized and designated as 3rd Brigade\n (Ordnance), 94th Division (Force Sustainment) in October of 2008. 3rd \nBrigade consisted of five Ordnance CMF Battalions with a national \ntraining mission to produce trained and ready Ordnance Soldiers capable \nof performing their wartime mission to standard. He retired as a Colonel\n in 2010, after an illustrious 30-year Army career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\n received a bachelor\u2019s degree in engineering from USMA at West Point. He\n later attended Command and General Staff College, and ultimately earned\n a master\u2019s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College. In \nhis civilian life, he obtained a master\u2019s degree in engineering science \nfrom Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). His awards and decorations \ninclude the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the \nArmy Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army \nAchievement Medal, the Senior Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge \nand the Air Assault Badge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After\n developing a love for cars in his youth, Elliott pursued a civilian \ncareer in the automotive industry as a citizen-soldier. In the early \n20th century, his grandfather owned the Benson Chevrolet dealership in \nAdrian, Minn., for over 40 years, so it was fitting when he joined \nGeneral Motors in 1989. Elliott spent time in engineering, product \nmanagement and marketing, supporting multiple Chevrolet and Pontiac \nvehicle platforms. He was especially proud of his work on the GM \nMobility program, an initiative designed to help customers with adaptive\n equipment in new GM vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\n later joined the GM Fleet group helping to support state and local \ngovernments and corporate fleet customers procure and maintain vehicles.\n Elliott\u2019s accomplished career with GM spanned across five decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott\n met the love of his life, Kimberly, at the Fort Bliss Officers\u2019 Club in\n El Paso, Texas on Sept. 19, 1980. They married seven months later on \nApril 18, 1981, at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Elliott \nspent nearly 40 years as a caring, dedicated and loving husband to \nKimberly. They raised three children together. Elliott has been a \ndevoted and supportive father to their kids, Bjorn, Bryce and Lindsay. \nHis unwavering love, positivity, kindness, patience, humor, strength, \nwork ethic and faith in God will live on in them forever. In 2017, \nElliott became a grandfather for the first time. It was a role he was \nmade for, and one he especially cherished. He will be deeply missed by \nhis family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott\n spent his life leading by example, always choosing the harder right, \ninstead of the easier wrong. He\u2019d pay an incredible amount of attention \nto detail but also revered the beautiful, simple things in life, and \nalways maintained a clear perspective when it came to the big picture. \nHis calm demeanor, perseverance, integrity and strong set of core values\n made him an exceptional leader in personal, military and civilian \naspects of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott\n loved photography and enjoyed tending to his large camera collection, a\n passion he shared with his father and children. He was a dog lover, and\n animals seemed to gravitate toward his calming presence &#8211; he was an \nanimal whisperer. Elliott never shied away from new experiences and \ncuisines and loved traveling the world and exploring its history with \nhis wife by his side. He loved music, particularly The Beatles, and had \nan impressive record collection. He lived an active lifestyle, and \nenjoyed running and going on hikes with his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott\n is survived by his wife, Kimberly Benson; his children, Bjorn Benson, \ndaughter-in-law Melissa, Bryce Benson and Lindsay Benson; his \ngrandchildren, Griffin Benson and Adelyn Benson; his mother, Betheen \nBenson; his siblings, Craig Benson (Shellie), Jeffrey Benson (Leisa), \nCrystal Benson, Carolee Humes and Troy Benson; his brothers-in-law, \nPeter Hulsey and Bill Hulsey (Donna); and his 12 nieces and nephews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He is predeceased by his father, Roger Benson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott\n appeared as an extra in the biopic \u201cMacArthur,\u201d which was filmed at \nWest Point in his first year. In the opening scene, a closeup of him \nfills the screen during Gregory Peck\u2019s paraphrased rendition of Gen.&nbsp; \nMacArthur\u2019s farewell address to the Corps of Cadets, principles that \nElliott would later personify in all facets of life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Duty,\n Honor, Country\u2019 &#8211; those three hallowed words reverently dictate what \nyou ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be. They are your \nrallying points. They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the \nimagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of\n life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, an \nappetite for adventure over love of ease. In this way they will teach \nyou to be an officer and a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation on his behalf to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity that meant a lot to him: <a href=\"https:\/\/communityfundraising.woundedwarriorproject.org\/campaign\/ElliottMBenson\">https:\/\/communityfundraising.woundedwarriorproject.org\/campaign\/ElliottMBenson<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dignitymemorial.com\/obituaries\/colorado-springs-co\/elliott-benson-9020658?utm_source=share_obit&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=obit_detail&amp;utm_content=view_obit_button\">https:\/\/www.dignitymemorial.com\/obituaries\/colorado-springs-co\/elliott-benson-9020658?utm_source=share_obit&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=obit_detail&amp;utm_content=view_obit_button<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elliott Marshall Benson was born on April 30, 1958 and passed away on January 29, 2020. Monument, Colo., formerly Sioux City Elliott Marshall Benson, U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.), 61, of Monument, formerly Sioux City, seasoned veteran of General Motors and loving husband, father, grandfather, son and brother, passed away unexpectedly from natural causes on Jan. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/EHSC-of-76-Part-3-192.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcjbd9-H9","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2821,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675\/revisions\/2821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ehsclassof76.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}