DOB/DOD: February 11, 1922 (New York, NY) – March 4, 1997 (Norwalk, CT)
MARITAL STATUS: Married Ellen “Sis” Saabye (1920-2018) on July 3, 1948, in Norwalk
CHILDREN: Four daughters, Ellen Kirtland Laughton (1953-), Emily Kirtland Scanlon (1954-), Jane Kirtland Mitchell (1961-), and Anne Kirtland Frusciante (1961-). One son, Benjamin B. III (1956-).
LOCAL ADDRESS: 20 Raymond Terrace, Norwalk
ENLISTMENT: September 11, 1942
SERVICE NUMBER: 6425145
DISCHARGE: September 5, 1945
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: LST-472
FAMILY: Born to Benjamin B. Sr. (1873-1972) and Elizabeth Semple (1887-1971). One brother, Grayson (1923-2011). One sister, Ann Kirtland Copley (1927-2016).
CIRCUMSTANCES: Wounded on December 15, 1944, in the Solomon Islands Campaign, specifically the Mindoro Islands in the Philippines. His ship was hit by a kamikaze aircraft, which ignited fuel and ammunition inside. Awarded the Purple Heart Medal.
Norwalk High School Class of ’40
Benjamin Kirtland Jr. was a graduate of Norwalk High School, Class of 1940. He attended both the Wilbraham Academy and Middlebury College in Vermont. After the war, he worked for many years for Saabye and Harford Buick in Norwalk as a sales manager and, years later, had worked as a salesman for Devine Brothers before his retirement. He was an avid tennis player.
Interred in Riverside Cemetery, 81 Riverside Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut; Section 15A, Plot 56, Grave 1. Photos by webmaster.
END
Honor Norwalk CT veterans 