In memory of Corporal Darren “Benny” Benson (10/09/1997 – 09/10/2023)
It is with a heavy heart that this tribute is written for Cpl. Benson, a beloved member of Suicide Charley, Weapons Platoon (10/10/2017 – 10/09/2021). Benny showed up to Suicide’s Machine Gun Section a little later than everyone else in our peer group. When we think of a Machine Gunner, we generally picture that six foot tall corn fed rock eater. Benny was a staggering 5’9” and 160 pounds, but this was no measure of the Man, Marine, or Machine Gunner that Benny was. He quickly made his name as Weapons Platoons best fighter, as he was a black belt in Jujitsu and competed in MMA before entering the service. He wouldn’t even break a sweat folding the biggest and strongest of Suicide into pretzels at the MCMAP pit and during barracks parties. Benny may not have looked like a Machine Gunner on a recruiting poster, but he embodied every characteristic of a great one. He never fell out, no matter how much weight was on his back, he always had that gun up, and he loved to let that pig eat at the cyclic rate.
Benny accompanied Suicide on the 2019 deployment to the Middle East, where he was attached to 3rd Platoon and pushed forward to the Bahgdad Embassy. After completing that deployment, he would uphold Marine Corp tradition, which wasn’t something he normally cared much about, by assisting in training the next generation of Suicide Machine Gunners. He took a great deal of pride in being a Suicide Charley Machine Gunner and did everything he could to pass that down during his lessons. Toward the end of their work up and his contract, Benny was selected to become the Battalion Gunners Assistant. Benny loved firearms and anything tactical, and by this point in his contract, he had a reputation for “tactically acquiring” just about anything that wasn’t nailed down. After all, gear adrift was a gift. During his short stint as the Gunners Assistant, it wasn’t uncommon for Benny to pull up in front of the barracks with a truck bed full of liberated items from his duties and spread the wealth of his newly acquired treasures.
Among Benny’s favorite things were bonfires with friends or barracks parties with the men, square body trucks, and of course firearms. Benny also loved, possibly most of all, to put a smile on the face of everyone he encountered. Whether it was by wearing a matching spongebob square pants outfit around the barracks or just cracking wise ass comments during First Sgts Libo brief, Benny was always keeping everyone’s morale up. On September 10th, 2023 we tragically lost Benny to the battle within. Benny was a fighter, and he didn’t go quietly into the night. His funeral was attended by over 60 brothers of Suicide Charley. They traveled at a moment’s notice from every corner of the country to Benny’s small home town, Wabash, Indiana. The Marines that showed up came to support Benny’s family, tell his most notorious stories from his time away with Suicide, and mourn their lost brother together. Even in death, Benny managed to make the men smile through their tears by bringing together the Brotherhood that he cherished so dearly. Corporal Darren “Benny” Benson is survived by his Mother, Deborah Ann Saulmon Benson, his Father, Darrell Duane Benson, and every Marine that had the privilege of serving in the ranks of Suicide Charley. “GUNS UP – GOD WILLS IT”
– Suicide Charley Weapons Platoon