Captain Ben Moulton Marine Forever in Our Hearts

Captain Benjamin William Moulton passed away in Pine Valley, California on February 7, 2024. He was twenty-seven years old. Ben and his four crew mates had conducted a routine training flight at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, and were returning to their home base of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed in the mountains of Pine Valley, California in the early hours of February 7. All five aboard were proud members of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, known as the Flying Tigers.
Ben was born to Robyn Moulton and Steve Moulton on September 3, 1996, in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Ben began his life as a curious, determined, and hardworking child. He had a huge imagination, playing pirates and sea captains with driftwood on the beach in Alaska with his sister and the neighboring kids. He was known as “Cap’n B,” or “Cap’n Beno” at an early age. As a child, Ben could rarely be found without tools tied around his waist or a fishing pole in his hand. He loved to help his dad fix things, a trait that continued his whole life. He also loved to fish, usually out-catching the adults while using a kid’s fishing pole.
The Moulton family moved to Emmett, Idaho in 2003 when Ben was seven years old. When he was eight, he began playing optimist football and making lifelong friends. The Grizzly optimist team proudly won the Orange Bowl in 2008 when Ben was twelve. He fostered lifelong, steadfast friendships with his former teammates, or as he would say, his “buddies.”
Ben’s dedication to service began at an early age. He enrolled in Gem County 4-H at the age of eight, and continued his involvement for ten years, serving as the Treasurer and eventually the President of his club. He showed pigs or steers every summer, raising them all year to save money for his college education.
Ben was an athlete, playing varsity football and running track at Emmett High School. Ben worked hard throughout high school to earn a full-ride NROTC scholarship to attend the University of Washington.
He was active in the University of Washington Husky Boxing Club, where he eventually became Team Captain. Of all his interests, his time boxing was his favorite, and he hoped to one day open a boxing gym and teach his skills.
After graduating early from the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science, he was commissioned in the U.S. Marines in Quantico, Virginia. Ben graduated from Officer Candidates School second in his class as Company Commander in the winter of 2019. A typical Marine, he moved to various addresses at different stages of training, including Corpus Christi, North Carolina, Pensacola, and ultimately Miramar, San Diego. A National Defense Service Medal and a sharpshooter award are among his Marine accolades. Ben was preparing for his first deployment in May.
Ben has often been described as an “epic human,” a “meme lord,” a “marine’s marine,” an “old school guy,” a “man’s man,” a “prankster,” and a “true, red-blooded American.” Ben was known by his squadron and fellow Marines as the go-to fix-it guy and master mechanic. He is known by his sisters as “Broro.” Ben wanted to live a life like the hero of one of the many movies he knew by heart. He could often be found wearing his leather jacket and aviator sunglasses. Ben always wanted to be a pilot, specifically a Marine fighter pilot like his grandfather Colonel William Dougherty, who preceded him in death. Ben grew up getting flat-tops or crewcuts at every haircut appointment because that’s the Marine way. He built Lego models of every warship and aircraft he could get his hands on, and was an encyclopedia of knowledge about any U.S. war or battle. He was especially an expert in weapons history and he made knives and swords in his spare time.
Ben’s smile lit up the whole room. His laugh was contagious, and he always had a joke, witty comeback, or fun fact to add to a conversation. Ben was a leader, an incredible friend, and a brother to many more than his two little sisters. Ben bettered himself and those around him. He had an unwavering moral compass and always followed through with his promises. He dedicated his life to service, and to raising his best friend Buck, his German Shepherd, or as he would say, his “son.”
Ben was a proud Marine until the end. His life was bound to be one of service and accomplishment. Even though Ben spent his life training and preparing for a future he will not get to see, his impact and memory will live on. The effect of his life will be felt deeply by those who knew him and loved him.
Ben is preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, William A. Dougherty; paternal grandfather, A.W. (Bill) Moulton, and paternal grandmother, Margaret E. Moulton.
Ben is survived by his dog, Buck; his sisters, Faustine Moulton and Maxine Moulton;
Parents, Robyn and Steve Moulton; his maternal grandmother, Sharlee Dougherty; his nine cousins, four aunts, and three uncles.
Captain Beno was a great American