Bentz joins Camp Ripley Court Of Honor
By FRITZ BUSCH, Journal Staff WriterArticle Photos
CAMP RIPLEY - A New Ulm military retiree is one of six inducted into the Camp Ripley Court of Honor Sunday, Sept. 21.
First Sergeant Jerome R. Bentz of New Ulm will join five other former military members - Lieutenant-Colonel Brevet Jack Johnson of Stillwater, Chief Warrant Officer Four Leonard J. Posch of Little Falls, Sergeant Major Allan K. Knutson of Grove City, Master Sergeant Charles L. Farrow of Vadnais Heights and Corporal Edmund S. Motzko of Sauk Center.
The six men have 149 years of combined military service.
Events start at 11 a.m. Sunday with a Chapel Service in Camp Ripley Chapel. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. at the Camp Ripley Recreation Center followed by the unveiling of the Court of Honor on the Minnesota Military Museum Grounds.
Bentz' awards and decorations include the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara Medallion, 2 Army Commendation Medals, a Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 3 Bronz Oak Leaf Clusters, a Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Ribbon (4th Device), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Training Ribbon (4th Award), Minnesota Good Conduct Ribbon (4th Award), Minnesota State Active Duty Ribbon and Minnesota State Service Ribbon (10-year Device).
He enlisted for three years in the U.S. Army on March 2, 1955. He was deployed to Kitzingen, Germany in November 1955 and served as a Chaplain's Assistant with the 41st Engineer Battalion.
Bentz was transferred to the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion in January 1956. He served in Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Passau, Germany.
Since his father was ill, Bentz was released from active duty in July 1957. He served in the reserves until March 1963.
Bentz joined the Minnesota Army National Guard in 1972 and was assigned to the 682nd Engineer Battalion in Hutchinson.
He was transferred to the 1/125th Field Artillery in New Ulm a year later. He served in New Ulm for nine years, two years each with the 47th Division Artillery, Anoka and Battery C, 1/125th Field Artillery, St. James.
He transferred to the Minnesota State Area Command (STARC) in December 1984 and served as Operations Sergeant in Plan/Operation/Training.
Serving with the Minnesota National Guard, he trained at Camp Ripley, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD; Redstone Arsenal, AL; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort McCoy, Wis., Camp Williams, Utah;, Fort Bragg, N.C. and Fort Campbell, Ky.
In February 1987, he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves and served as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) with National Defense Training at Fort McCoy and Fort Sill, Ok, at the Field Artillery Training Center.
Bentz retired after 31 years military service on Active Duty, in the National Guard and Army Reserves.
Since he retired, Bentz served as Commander, Seifert-Bianchi American Legion Post 132 in New Ulm; current Commander, Albin Johnson American Legion Post 244, Comfrey; Adjutant, Brown County Veterans Council and Council Trustee.
He was on the Minnesota National Guard Citizens Committee from 2002-2005.
Bentz worked in the Brown County Chief Administrative Office in 1997 and serves as Chairman of the Northwestern Publishing House Board of Directors in Milwaukee, Wis.
In 18 years public service, from 1981-1997, Bentz was awarded 10 leadership awards from government and civic agencies.
Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com
