Benny Mace Hardman

Searcy Funeral Home & Crematory

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Posted by: MikeThompson
[email protected]
334-393-2273 or 334-347-2517
Date: May 16 2022 9:39 AM

Benny Mace Hardman, born and raised in the small town of Norwood, CO passed away (kicked off his tent - 2 Corinthians 5:1) surrounded by his wife of 51 years in Daleville, AL on Monday, May 9, 2022.  He was 71.

He attacked life with tenacity and determination, doing things his own way.  His larger-than-life personality was only matched by his love and pride for God and Country.  He began his military career serving in the United States Marine Corps from July 7th, 1969-July 6th, 1972.  As an Infantry Rifleman in Vietnam, he was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart; Combat Action Ribbon; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnamese Campaign Medal; along with the Vietnam Service Medal.

After his military service, among other things, he used his G.I. Bill to earn his civilian pilot ratings.  It turned out these would serve him and our country for the rest of his career.  On Oct 9, 1965, he returned to the United States military, but this time it was the United States Army.  He served as Nike-Hercules Missile-launcher repairer until April 9, 1981.  During this time, he finished his college degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University which allowed him both to apply and to be accepted in the Officers Candidate School (OCS) on his path to become an Army Aviator.

From April 10th, 1981-October 31, 1992, he served as an Army Aviator.  He was initially rotorcraft qualified and went on to fly the Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) and later the Bell OH-58 Kiowa.  He persisted until he was able to get a fix-wing aircraft transition where he flew the Beechcraft C-12 Huron, but that wasn’t really Benny’s cup of tea, flying VIP’s (high ranking military officials) around.  He again put in for a change to fly the Army’s highest performance aircraft at the time, the OV-1D Mohawk.  There he was assigned to the U.S. ARMY 15th Military Intelligence Battalion and later served in Desert Storm.  It was in this role he earned Army Air Medal; Kuwait Liberation Medal; Army Aviator Badge; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.  Immediately following his retirement from the U.S. Army, the OV-1D Mohawks were also retired at the same time, so Benny both helped fly the planes to Argentina and train the Argentine Air Force pilots.

Throughout his military career and all throughout his life he kept that tenacious spirit alive and fought the good fight.  If you summed up Benny’s life in one word, I believe that word would be “ADVENTURE”.  Being a part of his life, both the good and bad, was without question an ADVENTURE!  One adventure that comes to mind that paints a picture of the character he was is the time when he was flying his OH-58 helicopter and, along with his Crew Chief, went out, hovered at tree top level to cut off the top of a large tree to get a tree for his unit’s Christmas party.  A man like Benny that lived as large and colorful as only he did leaves a hole like nobody else!

Benny is survived by his wife, Ida Mae Hardman, Daleville, AL; daughter, Nichole Rae Stamey (William), Tampa, FL; son, Mace Robert Hardman (Ashley), Colorado Springs, CO; 2 brothers, Billy Hardman and Bob Hardman; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.

Mr. Hardman will be transported to Colorado for services and burial to grant his final wishes of being returned to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

You may sign the register book or send condolences to the family at our website:   www.searcyfuneralhome.com .

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