Ben S. Bledsoe

Ben S. Bledsoe passed into God’s hands Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in Anza, California, at the age of 92. Born May 11, 1921, in Helendale, California, to Bertie and James Bledsoe, Ben lived his young life on a sprawling ranch in San Bernardino riding horses and driving cattle with his younger brother James, Jr.

Ben’s father came to California from Texas as a babe in arms on a covered wagon and his mom was a mail-order bride from Georgia. His father passed when Ben was 7 and Bertie supported her family working as a school custodian.

At the age of 18, Ben joined the U.S. Army and served his countr...