MOUNT VERNON – On Saturday, June 18, Paddle for Heroes will launch for the sixth straight year on a 160-mile paddle from Mount Vernon to Marietta. Organizers would like to dedicate the 2022 paddle in honor of Army Sgt. Benjamin J. Laymon.
Laymon died June 24, 2006, while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Laymon, 22, of Mount Vernon, Ohio; assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, died June 24 from injuries suffered when his unit encountered enemy forces’ small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device tjhat detonated during a dismounted patrol in the vicinity of Baghdad.
Laymon was born on Nov. 15, 1983, in Mount Vernon. He was a 2002 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, where he played varsity football. He enlisted into the Army in September 2002 and received his basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. Following basic training, he received advanced infantry training in Fort Sill, Okla., and paratrooper training at Fort Benning, Ga. In January 2003, he reported to Fort Hood, Texas, where he was assigned to the 3-16th attached to Task Force Ironhorse 4th Infantry Division and received his deployment orders to Iraq for his first tour of duty in March 2003. Following his tour of duty, he returned to Fort Hood in March 2004. He was promoted to sergeant that spring and also received training on the Bradley fighting vehicle before returning for his second tour of duty in Iraq in November 2005. He was called the Chris Farley of his platoon and was also known to be relentless when doing his job.
The paddle includes five nights of camping with stops at Terry's Tavern in Zanesville and campgrounds along the way.
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