Army 1st Lt. Robert N. Bennedsen

Died July 18, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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25, of Vashon, Wash.; assigned to 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died July 18 in Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

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Lieutenant remembered as a fearless leader

The Associated Press

Robert Bennedsen’s family says he was both a scholar and athlete, who wrestled and played varsity football in high school.

A native of Vashon, Wash., Bennedsen graduated in 2004 from Vashon High School and received his bachelor’s degree in 2008 in business from Seattle University.

He was killed in an attack on his unit July 18 at Qalat. He was 25 and based at Vilseck, Germany.

He had arrived in Afghanistan in the month before his death, family members said.

The Stars and Stripes newspaper reported that Capt. Kevin Ryan, Bennedsen’s company commander, described him as a fearless leader.

“Always leading from the front He died in combat leading his soldiers,” Ryan said, in remarks read at the ceremony. “He died a soldier’s death, and his actions on that hot day in July will inspire all of us to continue the mission.”

Ryan said Bennedsen was attempting to help fellow military members in a disabled vehicle when he was killed by a roadside bomb.

Bennedsen had hoped to return one day to serving in a local fire department in Washington state where he volunteered while in high school.

Bennedsen is survived by his parents, Tracy and Scott, both of Vashon Island, and his sister, Jamie, of Tacoma.