1SG (R) Daniel Bennett

1SG (R) Daniel Bennett sat down with me for Heroes I Know. The Professor. Advanced Airborne School’s most respected instructor. He taught me. He taught a generation.

Born 1964 in Ohio. As soon as he was born they moved to West Virginia. A log cabin. His mom used to point it out. He used to cry. He did not want people to know. That is the origin story. He owns it now.

Five-jump cherry out of Legoland. NCO. First day in the 82nd is All-American Week. He walks into the orderly room the Thursday prior. Sergeant Cherry. The stories from that schoolhouse still walk around Bragg.

AESOP. Visual aircraft recognition. Edition 4 still gives him nightmares. We typed that thing. We digitized it. We wrote it together. I still say his name when I talk about the black hats. He is the greatest teacher I ever stood next to in that hangar.

We blew our separate ways after the nineties. Seeing him again was like walking back into the school. Thank you, Professor. That is why we hit record. Get the story on tape before we are too old or too sick to tell it.