After preparing at Milton Academy, he entered Princeton, where he was on the varsity hockey team and was a member of Ivy Club. In 1950, Ben studied at Columbia and later received a master’s degree in Russian from Harvard.
During World War II, Ben served in the Army Field Artillery in Tunisia, Italy, and France. As captain of the 601 Tank Destroyer Battalion, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for “extraordinary heroism” under fire. Later, while wounded himself, he rescued a wounded crew, receiving a Silver Star for bravery.
Under treatment at the 9th Evacuation Hospital, he fell in love with his nurse, Roberta Taylor, whom he married in Italy in 1944.
While an Army major, he was recruited by the CIA and worked for the agency in Holland, Thailand, and Vietnam for 22 years.
Ben was an avid fly-fisherman, sailor, game-bird hunter, and a member of SKI-40. One of our class scholarships bears his name.
Predeceased by Roberta and three siblings, Horace, Henry, and Anne, Ben is survived by his brother, Robert; his son, Ben, and daughter-in-law, Leslie; daughter Ridgely and son-in-law Brad; and two grandchildren. Burial with military honors will be at Arlington National Cemetery June 15, 2009.