Benjamin Lenin Fajardo

Ben grew up in Claremont, and lived most of his adult life in Montclair. He attended Montclair High School and graduated in 1966. He was drafted into the U.S. Army shortly after graduation, and went on to become a LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol), a branch of Special Forces. He served in Vietnam from 1967-1968, and was honorably discharged in 1969 as Sergeant Benjamin Lenin Fajardo.

He was awarded numerous medals and awards for his heroism while in service, one of them being the Army Commendation Medal For Heroism. “When a numerically superior hostile element engaged his team with heavy automatic weapons fire from concealed positions, Specialist Fajardo covered the advance with an intense volume of return fire, enabling his unit to successfully maneuver against the enemy”.

Ben received his basic training at Ft. Lewis, Washington where he won a machine-gun expert medal. He later went to Ft. Polk, Louisiana for advanced combat training.

After a period of time in Vietnam, he volunteered for the long range patrol unit. He was returned to the U.S for further intensive training in map reading, navigation, communications and patrolling.

He returned to Vietnam and served with the Australian Special Air Service Squadron and the Navy Seals.

Upon his return home from Nam, Ben began his career as a self-employed truck driver, establishing Ben Fajardo Trucking. Ben enjoyed fishing, attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, watching movies, and Barbecuing with his family and friends. He was always available to anyone who needed a helping hand, especially when it came to fixing cars. Ben retired from work after more than 40 years on the job.

He unexpectedly passed away on October 26, 2012 in Portland, Oregon, where he was awaiting a Liver Transplant Evaluation.