Colonel R. J. Bennett attended OCS from February 1942 to 1 May 1942, Class #8. Infantry OCS, Fort Benning Georgia. He served as Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, Captain and Major with the 2nd Battalion, 50th Armored Infantry Regiment. (Redesignated 9th Armored Infantry Bn.), 6th Armored Division all through World War II as Platoon Leader, Liaison Officer, S2, S3, Bn XO and Acting Battalion Commander. He served with this unit at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, 1942 Louisiana Maneuvers; Desert Training Center, Camp Young, California., Camp Cooke, California; In European Theater Operation from February 1944 until September 1945 with this unit in England, France, Luxemberg, Belgium, and Germany; in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. | Inactive Reserve duty includes; Major - Student at Ohio State University and at University of Arkansas until June 1947 when he was integrated into the Regular Army. The Armored School - Student, Major, Regular Officers Advanced Course, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Eighth Army Headquarters, Major-General Staff Off in Japan and Korea - served in 5 Korean Campaigns in 1950-51; Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, in September 1950.  C&GS - Lieutenant Colonel., Student, Regular Officers Course, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas., Army General School - Lieutenant Colonel, Staff and Faculty, Fort Riley Kansas; 137th Tk. Bn. & 62d Tk. Battalion; Lieutenant Colonel, Battalion CO., Fort Polk, Louisana and Fort Riley, Kansas. Headquarters X Corps, Lieutenant Colonel, Assistant Chief of Staff, Gl, Fort Riley Kansas. Combat Command C, 3rd Armd Div., Lieutenant Colonel XO & Atctg. CO., Fort Knox, Kentucky and Friedberg, Germany. Headquarters., 3rd Armd. Division, Lieutenant Colonel, Assistant Chief of Staff, G2, Frankfurt, Germany. 1959-1960 United States Army War College, Colonel; Student, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. | His awards and decorations include: the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, Purple Heart w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster, Commendation Ribbon w/ Metal Pendant and Combat Infantryman’s Badge.