‘A true Patriot’: Community celebrates late veteran who dedicated life to serving others

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (WJW) – A local community gathered to celebrate the life of a special veteran this Memorial Day weekend.

Joseph Benedict was a Navy veteran who devoted his life to serving a host of veterans organizations in Northeast Ohio.

Most notably, he served as the president of Honor Flight Cleveland. Benedict would spend about a decade coordinating seven honor flight trips every year, making sure thousands of veterans had the chance to see their memorials in Washington, D.C.

On May 16, Benedict passed away at age 77.

Community members gathered at the Strongsville VFW on Sunday afternoon to honor Benedict, who had an impact on so many veteran lives.

“He was an amazing man. He was a true Patriot,” said his daughter, Jayme Benedict.

He was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame back in 2019.

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