Dante Benedetti

Dante Benedetti was born in Sonoma, California on 27 November 1915. He was the son of Gioncondo (“George”) and Pia Benedetti, and grew up with an older sister (Emilia) and younger brother (Gene).

Most of “Dan” Benedetti’s youth was spent in Sonoma. He developed into a promising athlete at Petaluma High School before graduating with the class of 1936. After a year at Santa Clara University, he transferred to the University of San Francisco and was one of the “Dons” of the varsity football team.

Remarkably enough, Dan met another youth named Dante Benedetti at USF. Both were members of the 194 class; both enjoyed boxing and football, and caused confusion wherever they went. One coach solved the problem by dubbing the pair “Big Dandy” and “Little Dandy.” Despite the similar names, there was no family relation between the “Dandys.”

After graduation in 1940, “Big Dandy” returned to Petaluma and took a job at his old high school as the assistant football coach. The handsome, popular young man was well known around Petaluma, and a regular feature in the local newspapers.

“Big Dandy” joined the Navy Reserve on 1 May 1941. He hoped to become a pilot, and after completing ground school and elimination training, he qualified as a full-fledged aviator at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. As one of the top pilots in his class, Benedetti was offered a Marine Corps commission – which he accepted on 3 June 1942.

Immediately after receiving his wings, 2Lt. Benedetti was sent back to California to join VMSB-141, a scout-bomber squadron preparing to deploy to the South Pacific. With his sporting background, Benedetti was a natural choice for additional duty as the squadron’s athletic officer.

Lieutenant Benedetti arrived in Solomon Islands in September 1942, and was soon flying combat missions out of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal.

On 15 October 1942, Dan Benedetti and SSgt. Paul Rivers took off from Henderson Field to perform a search mission. Their objective is no longer known – they might have been on a routine patrol, scouting for Japanese ships, or possibly looking for Corporal George F. Priest whose plane was lost on 10 October. Nor is their exact fate known for sure, for their plane never returned to base.

Benedetti and Rivers were reported as missing in action on the day of this mission, along with 2Lt. Robert C. LeBlanc and Cpl. Elbert R. Priest (brother of George Priest). The Benedetti family received their telegram on Thanksgiving Day of 1942, and the news hit radio and newspapers soon after. At least one paper had to publish a clarification for sports fans, specifying that “Big Dandy” of USF was the missing serviceman – “Little Dandy” was serving in the Coast Guard.

Dan Benedetti was officially declared dead on 19 February 1945. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.

It killed my mom. She expected him to come home. He was reported missing, because they never found the body. So she kept saying her prayers and expecting him to come home anytime. When I came back from the service, when I came back from overseas, it was about two years, three years that he’d been missing.

Mom had high expectations that he was going to come home. By that time, all prisoners were freed. Japan was just being invaded, not invaded but occupied, so there weren’t any more prisoners. So when I got back from overseas, I went to Washington, to the marine corps, to find out what the situation was. They said, “Well, we’re still reporting him as missing because we have no proof that he’s otherwise.” And I said, “Well, I’ll appreciate it if you’d send a letter to tell my family he’s dead. I’m going to be home on such-and-such a date.” So they did. And that was a real blow. But it had to be. There was nothing that could be done.

Gene Benedetti, interview conducted in 2001.

CENOTAPHS
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial