CC Benjamin Bochtler (USMAPS '20)
CC Benjamin Bochtler (USMAPS '20)
Benjamin Karl Bochtler was born on May 18th, 1999 to parents Edwin and Elizabeth (Van Damm) Bochtler in Reston, Virginia. He was baptized into the Christian faith at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Reston, Virginia on July 1st 2001.
Ben graduated from Bellevue West High School in 2017, where he participated in the Varsity Men’s JROTC Drill Team and was a member of the National Honor Society. He was active in Boy Scouts in Virginia and Kansas before earning his Eagle Scout in Nebraska.
Ben began service with the United States Army as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator in 2017, deploying to Afghanistan with elements of the 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion from April 2018 – January 2019. Upon redeployment, Benjamin began volunteering in the Colorado Springs community with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S) offering support for those grieving the loss of a military loved one. Ben was accepted into the United States Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point, New York and reported in July 2019, and played goalie for the Army Prep Black Knights lacrosse team. Ben is preceded in death by his brother, Jonathan. He is survived by his parents, Edwin and Elizabeth; brothers, Nathaniel, Christopher, and Isaiah; sisters, Charlotte and Amelia; and many other loving relatives and friends.
For every CC Benjamin Bochtler bracelet sold, $10 will be donated to a charity of his family’s choosing.
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet candidate Benjamin K. Bochtler of the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School, died due to injuries sustained from an accident at a cliff diving location in Hunter, New York Aug. 31.
“Cadet candidate Bochtler had an incredible smile and infectious positive attitude. He was everyone’s friend. Ben was a prior-enlisted combat veteran who set a tremendous example and used his experience in the Army to help his fellow cadet candidates,” said Col. Joshua Higgins, commandant of the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School. “His warm personality and that big smile made a lasting impact on everyone at USMAPS. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and friends.”
Bochtler, 20, of Bellevue, Neb., passed after a portion of the rock broke from the ledge, causing him to fall. Life-saving measures at the scene were unsuccessful.
“I would like to thank the New York State Police and the first responders that attempted to save Ben’s life,” said Higgins.
Bochtler entered the prep school in July 2019. He was prior service and enlisted in the United States Army in 2016 as an unmanned aircraft systems operator. He attended training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and advanced training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. He was assigned to 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Carson, Colo. from March 2018 to July 2019 and deployed to Afghanistan from April 2018 to January 2019 in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.