Benjamin Mortensen was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up in nearby Mesa, where he graduated from high school. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (Mormon), he served a mission in Argentina from 1945 to 1948. When he returned he attended Brigham Young University, where he played football and was the starting quarterback from 1949 to 1950. In 1951 he was commissioned as a U.S. Army chaplain, serving in the Korean War where he earned a Silver Star, and was honorably discharged in 1955. After completing his degree at BYU, he received his PhD in Psychology in 1960, and began a successful Practice of Psychology in Mesa, Arizona, from 1967 to 1963. He then entered the corporate world and worked for Edward N. Hay & Associates and for the Bank of America in San Francisco, California, from 1967 to 1972. He finished his career working for the Utah State Hospital and for Utah Technical College in Provo, Utah, from 1973 to 1985.
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Cemetery:
Awards Received
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Silver Star
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Silver Star
Service:
United States ArmyRank:
First Lieutenant (Chaplain’s Corps)Regiment:
65th Infantry RegimentDivision:
3d Infantry DivisionAction Date:
July 27, 1953
Headquarters, 3d Infantry Division, General Orders No. 351 (August 18, 1953)The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Chaplain’s Corps) Benjamin Franklin Mortensen (ASN: 0-999809), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Chaplain assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On the afternoon of 27 July 1953, the 1st Battalion Headquarters area in the vicinity of Pong-Dong, Korea, was subjected to a devastating concentration of artillery fire by enemy forces. Chaplain Mortensen, who was positioned in the command post at the inception of the action, made his way directly to the aid station in anticipation of casualties. As he moved through the intensely shelled area, he came upon an officer lying critically wounded on the open ground. As enemy fire increased in intensity, Chaplain Mortensen unhesitatingly hurled himself upon the wounded man, shielding him from further harm. When the fire diminished, Chaplain Mortensen aided in the further removal of the wounded officer to the aid station and remained there giving comfort and assistance to the wounded. As the shelling continued, Chaplain Mortensen again exposed himself to the enemy fire as he moved about to render aid and comfort to other men who fell casualties to the relentless fire. Chaplain Mortensen’s outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.