Franklin, Benny Shantell

Benny Shantell Franklin was a 19-year-old soldier from Hammond, Louisiana. He served as a Private First Class with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, part of the Combined Joint Task Force-76 based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

On October 7, 2005, Franklin was killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, his death was the result of hostile action, though the specific incident was not detailed in public casualty reports. He was one of several U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan that day.

Franklin died during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. By late 2005, the conflict was in a phase of counterinsurgency and stabilization operations, with significant combat occurring in southern provinces like Kandahar.

Franklin's death was announced by the Department of Defense. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other service medals. His remains were returned to Louisiana for burial.

PFC Franklin is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Hammond Veterans Memorial Park in his hometown. His name is also inscribed on the Afghanistan and Iraq War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and he is listed among the 2,356 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.

PFC Franklin was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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