Colonel Benjamin C. Kenyon, Jr. USAF (Ret.) died Thursday, February 23, 2012 in Pensacola, FL. He was born in Oklahoma City, OK on December 9, 1920 to Benjamin C. Kenyon and Pauline Scott Caspary Kenyon. Ben left college to serve his country in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a fighter pilot flying a P-51. After the war he was assigned to the Nuremburg war trials and later to fly the Berlin Airlift. After completing his undergraduate degree in History at the University of Central Oklahoma, the Air Force sent him on to study Russian at Syracuse University in preparation for a career in the Attach Corps. With the evolving importance of the Middle East and energy in the cold war, he was tasked with learning Arabic and was assigned to Cairo, Egypt as Assistant Air Attach. Having forged relationships with a number Arab luminaries, including the moderate Anwar Sadat, he returned to the Pentagon to help forge a response to the impending conflict in the Middle East. At this time he completed a masters degree of International Relations and International Law, with honors, at American University in Washington, DC. Ben was then assigned to the post of Air Attach to Rabat, Morocco where he continued to forge lasting relationships with moderates in the Arab world. After returning to the Pentagon, he served as Inspector General for a division of the Defense Intelligence Agency, shutting down rogue and fraudulent operations in the western hemisphere. Later he served as Chief of Editing and Briefing, ensuring effective and timely dissemination of intelligence information from the Defense Intelligence Agency. In recognition of his distinguished service to his country, Ben was awarded many decorations including the Legion of Merit, the USAF Air Medal, the Joint Chief Commendation Medal and the USAF Commendation Medal. He was an active member of Christ Church Episcopal in Pensacola and particularly enjoyed reading the lessons on Sunday mornings. He had served on the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council in Oklahoma before moving to Pensacola where he had also served as Senior Warden and Diocesan Convention Delegate. Ben is survived by his loving wife, Max Ellen Kenyon; his son, Ben Kenyon, III and wife Sammie of Edmond, OK; step daughter, Lucy Pace and husband James; granddaughter, Anne Byrd and husband Tom, of Edmond, OK; step granddaughter, Gina Pace of New York, NY; step grandson, Jesse Pace and wife Christina of Indianapolis, IN; great grandchildren, Thomas Byrd III, Kathryn Byrd and Dorothy Byrd of Edmond, OK. A Memorial service will be held at 1:30pm Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at Christ Episcopal Church, with Rev. Fr. Neal Goldsborough, Rector officiating. Colonel Kenyons ashes will be placed in the columbarium at the St. Marys Episcopal Church. HARPER-MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL is in charge of arrangements.