AW1 Kenneth J. "Benjie" Benshoff VP-22  P-3B BUNO: 154596 Born: March 10, 1948 Died: June 27, 1979 Hometown: Florida

He was truly like a brother to me. I was stationed in Sigonella (ASWOC/TSC) when he was killed in that VP-22 plane crash... I always thought it to be ironic that the airplane he crashed in was one of the ones he logged so many hours in while in VP-48 prior to transitioning to P-3Cs. He is still missed today, and will never be forgotten as long as I'm around.

AWCM McGiff:
And most of all I remember AW1 Ken Benshoff. Back in 1977 the AW detailer gave me orders to HSL-31 in Imperial Beach CA FFT to be a plank holder in HSL-37 Barbers Point. My roommate at the time was an AO2 Benshoff, fresh from a flying tour as an AO in a VP squadron and heading off to HSL-37 for some AO shore duty. During his VP tour he had seen the light and wanted to change to AW. He was convinced that was what he was going to do but the AO detailer didn't see it that way.

When I got to HSL-37, Ken and I were again roommates and when we both made 1st Class together we decided we had enough money and moved off base into an apartment in the Makaha Valley. Ken's #1 desire was still to convert to AW; though he wanted nothing to do with HSL since he wasn't a strong swimmer - but he knew he could do that VP thing.

The fates played their part and Ken got his wish. Ex-AOC..now AWCS Albert Henry Blood, our NATOPS LCPO in -37, made AWCM. And AWCM Dean Mattox, my VS crewmate for my very first WESTPAC, became the AW detailer. AWCM Blood lasted only a short time as an AWCM as he became permanently grounded; he then reverted to AOCM and transferred to Barbers Point Base Weapons. AWCM Mattox called me up and asked what I wanted as a follow-on tour to HSL-37; naturally I said VP and I asked him if he could help AO1 Benshoff convert to AW. Dean talked to the AO detailers and, with a few good words from AOCM Blood, they agreed to let him change rate.

I went to VP-31 FFT VP-17 and Ken followed a month or so later-now an AW1-with follow on to VP-22. "Benjie" had a hard time with the curriculum in VP-31, but he worked nights and weekends, passed and was again my roommate in Hawaii..this time as a AW1/SS2. VP-22 was relieving us from a Cubi deployment in june of '79 and Ken was to see me at the Sky Club to give me some things for our apartment back in Hawaii. The crashed on short final off the runway at Cubi Point and AW1 Ken Benshoff is on the "Wall".

AWCS (Ret.) Dave Hough:
I was friends with Ben Benshoff (SS-2 on the VP-22 lost in Subic Bay) as I had him for a student @ the PATWING II Consolidated AW Training Course when I was an instructor there (we hit it off - both being from Pennsylvania). The other acoustic operator (SS-1) on the VP-22 that went in was a classmate of mine at FASO and VP-31 his name was Gary Geiger, Gary got out of the A/C, but quit flying and got out at the end of his tour. (Can't blame him!, He saw Benshoff catch the Sono Package and tried to drag him out of the submerged A/C). The loss of Ben was tragic...fair winds my friend!

Initial reports indicated the plane had engine problems after takeoff. The exact cause of the accident was unknown. The names of the crewmen have not been released.

Washington Post June 27, 1979:
U. S. Plane Crashes in Subic Bay: 5 Lost
MANILA, June 27 Five crewmen were missing after a U.S. Navy plane believed to have helped shadow the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk crashed in the sea today while trying to land at Subic Bay Naval Base northwest of here.

A Navy spokesman said 10 crew members were rescued. He would neither deny nor confirm that the four engine P3B Orion out of Hawaii was involved in shadowing the Minsk in the South China Sea.

Names of the crew were being withheld pending notification of relatives. The spokesman said the Orion had been deployed at the Cubi Point Naval Air Station at the Seventh Fleet's Subic Bay base, 50 miles northwest of Manila.