Benjamin R. Eggeman Jr.

EGGEMAN BENJAMIN R. EGGEMAN, JR. Capt. U.S. Navy (Ret.) Captain Benjamin R. Eggeman, Jr., U.S. Navy (Retired), a resident of Fairfax County, died on April 7, 2010. Captain Eggeman was born in Grand Haven, Michigan, in 1918. He grew up and attended public schools in Lakewood, Ohio. He graduated from Yale University, class of 1941, and was commissioned from Yale Naval ROTC. He commenced active duty in 1941, serving briefly in Washington, D.C., before deploying to the Pacific on the staff of the Commander, South Pacific. He served in the South and South Western Pacific amphibious forces and participated in the occupation and consolidation of Guadalcanal. He served as a Landing Craft Control Officer for amphibious landings in the invasions of Bougainville, Saipan, Leyte, Luzon, and Iwo Jimo. In later years, his duties included service on Atlantic Fleet Destroyers and Cruisers, and, also, command of the USS Putnam, USS Denebola, and Destroyer Squadron Two. As Plans Officer for Commander Division 18, he participated in the recovery of the first American in space. He served in Washington in the Plans and Policy division of the Chief of Naval Operations and as Deputy Director for Antisubmarine Warfare and Undersea Warfare for Research and Development, as well as on the Joint Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and received a Master''s Degree in Business from George Washington University. In retirement, Captain Eggeman was active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, teaching sailing and boating safety. He maintained a keen interest in Fairfax County land-use matters and served on a number of local and county-wide land-use committees. He was a member of the Military Officers Association of America, the Fort Belvoir Yacht Club, and the Guadalcanal Campaign Veterans Association. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with V., Navy Unit Citation, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, and Philippine Liberation Medal. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, three sons, Benjamin III, John W., and James L., and six grandsons. Services will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.