WR Benton
W.R. Benton, pen name of Gary L. Benton, is a retired United States military senior non-commissioned officer. He is a graduate of a number of U.S. Air Force Survival Schools, including Arctic, Water (Sea and Ocean), Mountain, and Jungle survival schools. He spent twelve years teaching parachuting techniques and survival skills to Air Force aircrew members as a Life Support Instructor. Mister Benton currently works as a freelance Wilderness Survival and Outdoor writer.
“In my Western Novels, I have attempted to show how everyday people, just like you and I, have influenced and settled this great country of ours. While they may have lived in a different period of America, they were typical of men and women of the time. They were a simple people with a strong sense of honor and deep determination to succeed at the task at hand. It is of these no-named people I write about, because they have contributed the most to our great nation. The early settling of the American west was not for the faint of heart. The beaver trappers, or mountain men as they were commonly called, were some of the hardiest men this continent has ever produced. They often spent years alone or perhaps with a small group of others in the Rocky Mountains trapping, and discovering country that few, if any white men had ever seen before. It was a dangerous occupation and many did not last their first year. While the times were rough these men proved they were tougher.”
W.R. Benton has previously authored “Ty Fisher and the Blood of the Mountain Men”, "In the Shadow of the Mountain", "Death on the Mountain", "Red Runs the Plains, “Bubba’s Dawg Might be a Redneck”, and “Simple Survival, A Family Outdoors Guide,” published as paperback books. He is currently working on a contract to write a series called, The Drum, which will be about the period right after the Civil War and reflects the contributions of African Americans, Hispanics, and others.
His hobbies include camping, fishing, hiking, cartooning, and reading. His favorite color is blue, his favorite food is BBQ ribs (Saint Louis Style), corn on the cob, and cornbread. His favorite drink is "Sweet Tea."
Mister Benton has an Associates Degree in Search and Rescue, Survival Operations, a Bachelors Degree in Occupational Safety and Health, and a Masters Degree in Psychology completed with the exception of his thesis. Sergeant Benton retired from the military in 1997 with over twenty-six years of active duty.