Vernon Lyle Bensley was born January 10, 1924, at Iroquois in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, to Welsey and Anna Bensley. He received his education in Iroquois and graduated as salutatorian from Iroquois High School in 1942. Before he entered the service, Vernon attended college in Huron.
Vernon Bensley was called into service on March 17, 1943, and reported for active duty ten days later at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was trained in Camp Blanding, Florida; Camp Robinson, Arkansas; Camp Rucker, Alabama; and Fort Meade, Indiana. On July 1, 1944, S/Sgt. Bensley was shipped overseas, arriving first in Italy for six weeks. After that, he was sent to southern France.
On January 9, 1945, Staff Sergeant Vernon Bensley, Company C, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division of the Seventh Army, led a combat patrol into enemy territory near Bennwihr, France and did not return. "The patrol encountered enemy resistance, and was forced to withdraw because of intense automatic fire. Sergeant Bensley did not rejoin the patrol when it re-organized, and the official government record is that he was killed in action as of that date."
There was a "service of commemoration" at the Methodist Church for Vernon in Iroquois on March 17, 1946.
The Iroquois American Legion Post is named after him. The Post is called the Bensley-Rounds Americann Legion Post number 280.
