The Florida Press Association awarded The Eagle with the first place award for Community Service, circulation division under 7,000 in the 2002 Better Weekly Newspaper Contest. The award recognized the newspaperâs efforts to have Medal of Honor recipient, Emory L. Bennett, recognized in his hometown of Cocoa, Florida with a permanent and lasting monument. The Eagle is honored to have received the award.

Emory L. Bennett·

Volusia Park Named For Him

By Charlotte Guttenberg

On Thursday, July 25, the Volusia County Council and the Leisure Services Division (Volusia Countyâs equivalent of the Brevard County Commission and the parks and recreation department) will celebrate the grand opening of a new park. The park will honor Volusia and Brevard counties only Medal of Honor (MOH) recipient, Emory L. Bennett.

Pfc. Emory L. Bennett Veterans Memorial Park is located on Veterans Memorial Parkway, Orange City. (Map to locate park on page 2.) The opening is set for noon with the public invited.

As every Brevard resident of driving-age knows, The Emory L. Bennett Causeway (SR 528 or the Bee-line) is the only Brevard County honor accorded our fallen hero. Few people know who Emory L. Bennett was or why there is a causeway named for him ö in fact, only a few people call it Bennett Causeway. Before too many more people forget his noble effort, some interested citizens would like to see another Brevard honor (a Cocoa honor) accorded him as well.

The Eagle would like to assist in petitioning the City of Cocoa Commission to include a plaque paying tribute to Bennett in the newly renovated Cocoa Riverfront Park. An interested group has independently expressed interest in purchasing the tribute plaque. Additional money will most likely need to be raised for a suitable mounting pedestal, if the city will agree to honor the man who loved this city, and wanted nothing more, than to return here to live out his life. (See page 3 for petition to sign and return to The Eagle).

Volusia and Brevard share this remarkable young man. Volusia County has never forgotten, nor let its residents forget, Bennett was born in New Smyrna (Beach). When Emory was in the first grade in 1936, his family moved to Indianola on Merritt Island. The Bennetts lost their New Smyrna business in the Great Depression of the thirties. Dad Bennett located work here with the state road department while SR3 was under construction. He later took over management of a family-owned seafood business.

The Bennett family lived above the seafood business located in the building at the corner of SR520 and Delannoy Ave. in Cocoa Village, for 14 years. (The building is presently part of the Travis Hardware complex.) Busy SR520 running along the length of the building, was then the city boardwalk, and the Indian River lapped at the back of the buildings. All the filled-in area, housing parking lots, buildings and Lee Winner Park,  once was part of the river. The parking lot behind Travis Hardware was once filled with docks, fishing net racks and catfish vying for scraps from the seafood business ö a pursuit that amused customers and residents, who could stand on the dock and watch them.

Emory grew-up working in the business with his family on Delannoy. He played and worked on the Indian River. He probably passed along the area that is now Cocoa Riverfront Park, thousands of times. He surely never entertained the idea it would someday be a spot where people from all over the county would come to relax and get away from our fast-paced lives. It is such a pleasure to walk or drive by the park and see how many people use it. It is seldom silent ö the happy voices of children playing, probably are mere echoes of earlier children who played along the Indian River or ran along the streets of Cocoa, playing as Emory, his siblings and friends once did.

After graduating from Cocoa High School in 1948, he worked several jobs to earn money for college. Enrolling in a business college in north Florida, he continued to work to support his desire for higher education. But our world and Emoryâs world changed dramatically June 25, 1950 when hostilities began in Korea. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and left for basic training, July 25, 1950 ö the day the first rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral.

Pursuing schooling with the army engineers, he was transferred to the infantry as the conflict in Asia expanded and more soldiers were needed immediately. Leaving the states in February 1951, he died a heroâs death June 24, 1951 in a self-sacrificing battle that enabled his fellow soldiers to escape.

Pfc. Emory Lawrence Bennett had been a boy who loved to fish and hunt. He had been a boy with a great sense of humor, a zest for life. In a letter written in Korea to one of his brothers, he expressed the wish to simply be able to come home to Cocoa after the conflict was over ö to live and work in the place he loved. Pfc. Bennett did come home to Cocoa, but the fun-loving boy, who became a man and a hero in an inhospitable, far-away place, came home to be buried in Cocoa.

The only concept many people have of the Korean Conflict is from watching old episodes of M*A*S*H on television. War-torn Korea was not a place of fun and games. There may have been people like Hawkeye, Trapper John and Radar who were able to escape the bitter reality of war with humor and finally go home to their loved-ones. That was not the story of many soldiers who were  wounded there and the many soldiers who died there.

Pfc. Emory Lawrence Bennett, the smiling boy in the photos, the smiling soldier in the photos, at the age of 21, put aside the hopes of his youth, the thoughts of returning home to his beloved family, to his beloved Cocoa, and gave his life in that inhospitable, far-away place, so that his comrades might live. Had he lived and been able to return here, he would have been 72. Perhaps he would have been one of the people enjoying the beautifully renovated park in Cocoa or the new park in Orange City. Perhaps the children laughing and playing in those parks would have been his grandchildren or great-grandchildren. But those ideas are could-have-beens ö would-have-beens. When the smiling man was called upon to do his duty, he did more than his duty, he did, he gave, his all.

After joining Co.B 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division on March 25, Emory first participated in combat March 31 and was quickly promoted to Pfc. one day later. A little more than a month after that, he was awarded the Combat Infantrymanâs Badge for service performed. One month and four days later, he was holding off an enemy attack to allow his comrades to escape.

It was the stuff movies are made up, the grand battle scene. But in this movie, the hero didnât come back for a sequel. He didnât appear on television talk shows or have his picture snapped by the paparazzo. There was no coming back from this battle, and he knew it. Because of this supreme act of heroism, he didnât win an Oscar, he won the Medal of Honor ö posthumously.

If you can attend the ceremony at Orange City, July 25, you will be welcomed. Please complete the petition to include a plaque honoring MOH recipient Pfc. Emory L. Bennett in the Cocoa Riverfront Park and return it to The Eagle. The petition will appear in the next few issues. Please make copies and ask your friends to fill them out and return them as well.

Note: The conflict known as the Korean War (1950-53), was an action between the United Nations (UN) and North  Korea and later communist China. The UN suffered nearly 1,500,000 casualties. A peace treaty has never been signed, only an armistice in 1953 at Panmunjom. Korea still remains divided.

The Official Version Of Emoryâs Gallant Stand

Pfc. Bennett, a member of Company B, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations.

At approximately 0200 hours, two enemy battalions swarmed up the ridge line in a ferocious banzai charge in an attempt to dislodge Pfc. Bennettâs company from its defensive positions. Meeting the challenge, the gallant defenders delivered destructive retaliation, but the enemy pressed the assault with fanatical determination and the integrity of the perimeter was imperiled.

Fully aware of the odds against him, Pfc. Bennett unhesitantly left his foxhole, moved through withering fire, stood within full view of the enemy, and employed his automatic rifle, poured crippling fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants, inflicting numerous casualties.

Although wounded, Pfc. Bennett gallantly maintained his one-man defense and the attack was momentarily halted. During this lull in battle, the company regrouped for counterattack, but the numerically superior foe soon infiltrated into the position. Upon orders to move back, Pfc. Bennett voluntarily remained to provide covering fire for the withdrawing elements, and, defying the enemy, continued to sweep the charging foe with devastating fire until mortally wounded.

His willing self-sacrifice and intrepid actions saved the position from being overrun and enabled the company to affect an orderly withdrawal. Pfc. Bennettâs unflinching courage and consummate devotion to duty reflect lasting glory on himself and the military service.

A Petition To the City of Cocoa:

As an interested US citizen, (not necessarily of Cocoa), I believe a plaque in tribute to Brevardâs only Medal of Honor recipient, Emory L. Bennett should be erected in the Cocoa Riverfront Park.

This lasting tribute will honor the man who loved his country, his comrades and the city in which he grew to be a hero.

Name___________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________________

State  ____________      Zip________________

Phone (optional)  (__________) 

E-mail (optional)  _________________________

Please fill-out and return to

          The Eagle, P.O. Box 236052, Cocoa, FL 32923-6052

                               or fax to (321) 639-5695.

Please make copies and ask your friends to fill out one, too.

Park Pays Tribute To Hero

By Charlotte Guttenberg

The ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday, July 25 at the Pfc. Emory L. Bennett Veterans Memorial Park in Orange City, was the culmination of years of planning and work by many people.

The park which was first planned in the early 90s, has taken more than a decade to open to the public.

Volusia and Brevard Counties share the distinction of ãsharingä Congressional Medal of Honor (MOH) recipient Emory L. Bennett. Bennett, who was born in Volusia County, has never been forgotten there. The county has a number of tributes to this remarkable man throughout the county, the park being the most recent.

The opening ceremony hosted by the Volusia County Council and Volusia County Leisure Services (equivalent to our county commission and parks and recreation department) included many dignitaries from  Volusia County as well Bennettâs only surviving brother, John Bennett of Cocoa. He assisted in the ribbon cutting.

The 210-acre park is a $1.7-million facility. At present the first phase has 27-acres of cleared recreational area. It includes three ballfields, a playground, hillside walking paths and family picnic areas. The main feature is a large multi-purpose ballfield which can be used for a variety of sports.

The ambitious undertaking was funded with district park impact fees and grants from the Department of Environmental Protectionâs Florida Recreation Development program. The park serves as a memorial to all military veterans. Commanders from three veterans councils participated in the opening, unveiling a commemorative stone marker dedicated to veterans who have died in service to America.

The regional park, which is open to the public, is located on Veterans Memorial Highway between Harley Strickland and Rhode Island avenues in Orange City.

The name was selected long before the park became reality. The Volusia County Council unanimously voted Thursday, August 1, 1991 to name the regional park, which was in the planning stages at the time, after Bennett.

From the beginning it had been the countyâs intention to honor local county military veterans through the park. Searching for a name, the county requested nominations from residents. They stipulated it should be a veteran who had performed a service to the community.

Two local veteran activists, Herman ãAnimalä Ray and Charlie ãJigglesä Donovan, lobbied local veterans organizations for a couple of months to support their effort to name the park after Bennett. They reasoned who had performed more service to the community, than the only Volusia County resident ever to be awarded the MOH? A whole lot of people agreed with them, including the council.

Bennett was award the MOH posthumously for his valor in defending his comrades in battle.

Honoring MOH Winner Emory L. Bennett

The City of Cocoa will address the request to place a tribute to Emory L. Bennett in the Cocoa Riverfront Park. The item is on the agenda of the council meeting to be held Tuesday, August 13 at 7 p.m. The subject is scheduled to come up under ãCouncil Business.ä

The support of this cause has been phenomenal ö the number of petitions returned has been encouraging. The petition (below) will run again this week in hopes anyone who is interested in seeing Bennett honored in this manner, will return them to The Eagle. The petition can also be found on our website (www.guttenberg-galaxy.com) under featured articles. Scroll down until you get to the petition. You can copy and paste it into an email: gootville@yourlink.net

The petitions will be delivered to the City of Cocoa, August 13.

Anyone interested in seeing the meeting can watch it on cable television on the government channel. Time Warner users in Brevard should tune in to channel 99. Benchmark users in North Brevard should turn to channel 51.

Itâs A Win For Everyone!

By Charlotte Guttenberg

The petitions came in: hand-delivered, by mail and by fax. Some filled out by individuals, some with more than one petitioner on the same petition. Envelopes arrived with one petition, quite a few with five to six, one held nine. They came from as far away as California and as close as next door to The Eagle. They came from friends, from readers, from strangers ö all interested, concerned citizens who want to do something to honor the memory of a man who gave his life for his comrades·a man who gave his life for his country·a man who loved the city where he grew into a man, grew into a hero. The man everyone wants to honor is Emory L. Bennett. I say is and not was, as heroism on the level of his, keeps such a person alive, even if it is only in our collective-memories.

I donât know why I am so surprised so many petitions were returned. This is the most worthy of causes. But the petitions did come in. I keep looking at the stack which continues to rise. Every one of them represents the effort someone took to fill it out, put it in an envelope, stamp it and mail it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get people to respond to almost anything, especially if they have to purchase the stamp? In fact, one is coming in now via fax as I write this article. A Merritt Island man, probably getting ready for work, has taken the time to cut-out the petition, fill it out, and fax it here before beginning his day. Itâs Wednesday, 6 a.m. What do I find so unusual about this? Now, nothing.

A few weekâs ago when The Eagle made the suggestion a tribute be placed in the park, I would not have believed such interest or dedication to the project would be forthcoming. The response has shown me a few things ö most importantly, people want to honor our hero, he isnât the totally forgotten hero I had imagined he was. An astounding number of people have volunteered to help. Thatâs good, as a committee needs to be formed to raise money for it.

It seems all it really took to get permission for a tribute honoring Bennett, was for all of us, to ãofficiallyä ask permission. The city council of Cocoa unanimously voted at their regular meeting, Tuesday night, August 13, to allow the statue to be placed in Cocoa Riverfront Park. They volunteered to find a suitable place in the park for it. The only discussion was about where this gift statue could be placed and about Emory Bennett the man.

ãThe committeeä once it is formed, will keep city manager Ric Holt informed as to progress collecting funds for the tribute and progress on the actual creation of the statue. An Emory L. Bennett Trust is being created to administer the funds received, so every donation received, goes directly and exclusively to the effort. A post office box for the trust will be rented. As soon as that is accomplished, The Eagle will publish the address. Anyone wanting to donate immediately, may send checks to The Emory L. Bennett Trust in c/o The Eagle, and we will get them to the committee.

What else did I learn from this experience? Every newspaper, regardless of size, must be very careful about what they publish. The influence of the printed word, is not diminishing as some advocates of the internet have claimed. Once written, once published, our words take on a life of their own. The Eagle is one of the smallest newspapers in Brevard County, but it was still heard. Thank you.