Private Benjamin Ranaudo – Afghanistan
RSL Victoria remembers the sacrifice of Private Benjamin Ranaudo who gave his life in service of his country during the war in Afghanistan.
Benjamin Ranaudo was born in Ferntree Gully in 1987. His parents, Angelo and Jennifer, had two children together, Benjamin, and his older sister, Amy.
Benjamin developed a love for the Army when he was very young. His mother took him to Knox shopping centre when he was seven years old and came across an Army recruiting display which featured a tank in the middle of the centre.
“He fell in love with the Army then and it lasted forever,” his mother Jennifer Ward said. “He was sitting on the tank, and refused to get off, he loved it so much.”
After his parents separated his mother married Terry Ward, who had three children of his own, Melissa, Phillip, and Terry, before they had a child together, Hayley.
Benjamin was a keen athlete, playing football, soccer, indoor cricket, and tennis. He attended school locally at St Joseph’s College where he was known as a dedicated student who wanted to become a soldier and serve his country.
His mother remembers him saying that school didn’t matter because he was going to be a solider and join the Army, his future was already laid out before him in his mind.
After completing year 12 Benjamin initially tried to enlist in the police force, believing it would be a good stepping stone to the Army. However, a police recruiter said because he had just left high school, he would be better to enlist in the Army and become a police officer when he discharged.
Happily taking the advice Benjamin fulfilled his lifelong ambition and enlisted in the Australian Army in May 2006. Upon completing basic training, he was deployed to Townsville with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment.
As civil unrest rose in East Timor he was deployed to the fledgling nation as part of Operation Astute, with the aim of stabilising the country and returning order.
At the end of the mission her returned to Australia and his family could see the change in him. His mother, Jennifer, said he went to East Timor like an insecure teenager and came back a man, full of self-confidence.
Back in Townsville Benjamin met Haylee McCarthy who became the love of his life. A dedicated soldier he completed further training before deploying to Afghanistan with Operation Slipper.
When she was told Benjamin was going to Afghanistan his mother’s reaction was one of relief.
“At the time I was more worried about Iraq as I thought that was more dangerous,” Jennifer said. “I thought he would be OK in Afghanistan. How wrong I was.”
Benjamin served with the 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Taskforce based at Tarin Kowt. After six years of conflict the taskforce was engaged in reconstruction of the country and mentoring of the Afghan National Army in the Uruzgan Province with the aim of rebuilding infrastructure and security in a country ravaged by decades of war.
Providing security meant dealing with Taliban elements still operating in the country. Benjamin stayed in regular contact with his worried family and girlfriend back in Australia, calling home whenever he had the chance and communicating through messenger apps.
In July 2009, his mother had a long phone call with Benjamin in which he told her he intended to marry his girlfriend when he returned from Afghanistan.
He was due to take part in a “cordon and search” operation north of the Australian base at Tarin Kowt where it was believed a Taliban bomb-making facilities were located.
The Australian troops left in the very early morning in darkness and established security positions in the Baluchi Valley before sunrise. The Australians were part of an outer cordon protecting Afghan National Army troops undertaking a search of the area. Benjamin was standing behind his mate Private Paul Warren at a machine gun post.
They were together in the same position for two and a half hours when Private Warren shifted his weight slightly and accidently detonated a hidden anti-personnel mine. The explosion then detonated hidden mortars underneath Private Ranaudo.
Private Warren lost a leg to the blast and would need at least 16 surgeries to survive. He learnt to walk again with the help of a prosthetic leg.
Private Ranaudo was killed instantly in the second explosion.
Back home his mother knew something was wrong even before she was contacted by the Army. At first, she dismissed it as guilt because she was late sending him a care pack.
“It was a mother’s instinct, though,” Jennifer said. “I knew something bad had happened.”
His body was returned to Australia where he was buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. His funeral was attended by family and friends and the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who described Private Ranaudo as an Australian hero.
He was the 11th Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan.
His girlfriend, Haylee McCarthy, posted a tribute to Ben upon learning of his death in which she wrote “to know that everything I was looking forward to has just vanished shakes me to my core … You are forever in my heart and believe me I’ll take you wherever I go, I’m yours forever and always.”
RSL Victoria pays tribute to Private Benjamin Ranaudo, his family and all those who have sacrificed in the service of their country.
Lest We Forget.
