Neal, Benjamin Harold
Male
Verified U.S. Army Corporal Benjamin Harold Neal, 21, of Orfordville, Wisconsin, was killed in action on April 25, 2012, in Zharay, Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Benjamin Harold Neal was a 21-year-old soldier from Orfordville, Wisconsin. He served as a corporal in Company B, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit is part of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Corporal Neal died on April 25, 2012, in the Zharay district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province. The U.S. Department of Defense stated his death was the result of hostile enemy action. Specific details of the engagement were not publicly released, but Zharay was a known insurgent stronghold and a frequent site of intense combat during that period.
Neal's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, U.S. and allied forces were engaged in a counterinsurgency strategy focused on southern provinces like Kandahar, aiming to clear areas of Taliban influence before a planned transition to Afghan security forces.
His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried in Orfordville. The Wisconsin National Guard posted an honor guard for his funeral. Local news reported his loss was deeply felt in his small hometown community.
Corporal Neal was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal. He is memorialized on the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial at Fort Bragg and is listed among the more than 2,300 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Explore Further
Corporal Neal was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
