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John Ben "Benny" Benson, Jr. (October 12, 1913 – July 2, 1972) was the Alutiiq (Sugpiaq)〔alutiiqmuseum.org: (Benny Benson Day (in Alutiiq: Benny Benson-rem ernera) )〕 boy who designed the flag of Alaska. Benny was 13 when he won a contest in 1927 to design the flag for the territory of Alaska, which became a U.S. state in 1959. ==Biography== Benny Benson was born in Chignik, Alaska, to a Swedish father and Alutiiq-Russian mother.〔(Alaska State Flag, and Song, Intertwined Around Benny Benson, Part 1 )〕 When he was 3 years old, his mother died, forcing his father to send him and his brother Carl to an orphanage, as Benny's father could not take care of them. Benny grew up at the Jesse Lee Children's Home in Unalaska and later in Seward. After graduating from high school in 1932, Benny left the Jesse Lee Home. He returned to the Aleutian Islands to work with his father at a fox farm at Ugaiushak Island. The rate for furs began to decline, so Benny moved to Seattle in 1936. He used his prize money of $1,000 to enroll in the Hemphill Diesel Engineering School for diesel engine repair. In 1938, Benson married Betty Van Hise. The couple's first child, Anna May, was born in October 1938. Their second daughter, Charlotte Abbot, was born in June 1940. Benson divorced in 1950 and moved with his daughters to Kodiak where he became an airplane mechanic for Kodiak Airways. Benny met his sister in the mid 1950s, 30 years after their separation. His sister died soon after. His brother Carl also died in 1965. Benson's right leg had to be amputated in 1969 due to an injury. Shortly after that, in 1972, he met and married a former Jesse Lee Home resident, Anna Sophie Jenks. Benson had several stepchildren and grandchildren. He died of a heart attack in Kodiak at the age of 58.〔(Alaska State Flag and Song Intertwined Around Benny Benson, Part 3 )〕 The Benny Benson Memorial is located at Mile 1.4 of the Seward Highway in Seward, Alaska. On April 11, 2013, in honour of his centenary, the Alaska Legislature passed SB31,〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=28th Legislature (2013-2014) )〕 which named the airport in Kodiak after Benson: "Kodiak Benny Benson State Airport." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Benny Benson」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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