Person:Benjamin Knight (72)

DEATH: Social Security Death Index Name: Benjamin B. Knight SSN: 555-44-6288 Last Residence: 95062 Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America Born: 11 May 1899 Died: 4 Jan 1989 State (Year) SSN issued: California (1951 ) Source Citation: Number: 555-44-6288;Issue State: California;Issue Date: 1951.

California Death Index, 1940-1997 Name: Benjamin B Knight Social Security #: 555446288 Sex: MALE Birth Date: 10 May 1899 Birthplace: California Death Date: 4 Jan 1989 Death Place: Alameda Mother's Maiden Name: Bliss Source Citation: Place: Alameda; Date: 4 Jan 1989; Social Security: 555446288.

BIOGRAPHY: SANTA CRUZ DIGS IN FOR DURATION OF WAR "We are yours to command in this emergency," simply declared T. Y. Kadotani, official spokesman for the Santa Cruz Japanese association, as he addressed a special mass meeting of city and county officials at noon yesterday. The conclave was held at Hotel St. George. It was Japanese-called. "I asked you city and county officials to meet with our association representatives, so you might know how we feel toward America," said Kadotani. "As soon as the horrible news of the Honolulu disaster became public, I made arrangements for this gathering in the spirit of complete cooperation," he further stated. In the Santa Cruz area there are 222 Japanese, he said. All the younger generation are citizens. The great majority of the family heads are not, he said.

KNIGHT SPEAKS Nearly three times as many Japanese reside in the Watsonville area, said Kadotani. The association spokesman was introduced by District Attorney Benjamin Knight. "This is no mutual admiration gathering but a history-making meeting, where the Japanese of this city are making a pledge of loyalty to the United States," Knight declared. LAW ABIDING He asserted the local Japanese colony was one of the most law abiding groups within the county, with only one of their numbers ever having been arrested during Knight's tenure as district attorney. Six of the leading association members, T. Kai, S. Ogawa, Sr., S. Owaga, Jr., M. Sugai, M. Iwanaga, and K. Miyahara, were present. Both Ogawa and Iwanaga are native born Americans. The balance have lived in this country for more than 40 years, it was said. Mayor Edwin L. Rich, Supervisor George Morgan, Sheriff J. R. Devitt, Undersheriff Lowell Rountree, Chief of Police Al Huntsman, Commissioners Amos Roff, Phil Sousa, Mabry Bibbins, and Fred Howe, Postmaster Fred Hale, State Senator Ray Judah, Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wyckoff, Jay Harris, City Attorney Francis Hall and Donald Younger were present, representing city, county and state officialdom. Comments from each of the officers, county and municipal leaders present revealed acceptance of the assurances of the Japanese society for full patriotism and cooperation, but crystalized an attitude the Japanese people must prove their sincerity by their actions from this time on. Copyright 1941. Santa Cruz Sentinel-News. Reproduced here by permission.

williamknight57@yahoo.com Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003 18:54:23 -0800 Subject: Benjamin B. Knight in Available Santa Cruz City Directories From: "Robert G Lemmon Jr" <rglemmonjr@juno.com> William, The 1934 Santa Cruz City Directory (hereinafter C.D.) has the following: Knight Benj B (Miriam) lwyr 4 Locust [St.] h 42 do The 1935 - 1941 SC C.D.'s have the following: Knight Benjamin B (Miriam) District Attorney Santa Cruz County,Court House Annex, 104 Front [St.] h24 Laurent [St.], Tel 1881 There are no C.D.'s for 1942-45, and the '46 C.D. has not listing of him. If you're interesting in what the phone books had for the yrs 42-45, I can check.

  Please advise.

                                              Bob Lemmon, Jr.
                                           rglemmonjr@juno.com
                                       rglemmonjr@access4less.net

MILITARY: To: williamknight57@yahoo.com Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 08:26:56 -0800 Subject: Benjamin Knight's Military Career From: "Robert G Lemmon Jr" <rglemmonjr@juno.com> William, Good news & bad news. The bad news is that the lawyer classmate, who's on the historical committee of the local lawyer's organization, says to ask again in May for the list of County DAs (and their dates). [Thought it was supposed to be finished by Feb?!?!] While killing some time in the genealogy room at the SC Lib Yesterday evening I looked at a large book with the title "Service Cardinal" on the cover. It's more complete title was "World War II Service Cardinal 1948." (The Cardinal is the Santa Cruz HS yearbook.) Stumbled across a photo & some text of Benjamin Knight in the USMC section.

Here's the text: Benjamin B. Knight 017927 Major Knight was born in Santa Cruz on May 11, 1899, and graduated from SCHS in 1917. Major Knight was called to active duty with the US Marine Corps on February 13, 1943, as a Captain in the Domestic Intelligence School at Frederick, Maryland. He was then assigned to duty at the Marine Barracks,Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, where he was Commanding Officer of the Barracks Detachment and Legal Officer. He also served as a member of the Navy General Court-Martial. He was Judge Advocate on the Navy General Court-Martial at Yerba Buena Island. Then he was promoted to the rank of Major, and was transferred to ashington, D.C. for duty with the Navy Judge Advocate General's office and the Navy Division of the War Crimes Office. There he was officer-in-charge at the time of his return to inactive status in November, 1946. He is with the War Department in civilian capacity, in the War Crimes Branch of the Civil Affairs Division, Office of Staff, in Washington,D.C. The last paragraph indicates that he stayed on as a DNC (Dept of the Navy Civilian -- assuming that the navy used same type of acronym as The army where we used to talk about DACs, Dept of Army Civilians). The photo is not very good since it was taken in bright sunlight and the visor of his cap shades part of his face. Hope this is useful. I had never looked at this tremendous resource B4 yesterday eve. As one who's lived here in SC since 1945, I recognized a lot of names in the "Service Cardinal." Bob Lemmon, Jr.

DRAFT: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Name: Benjamin Bliss Knight City: Santa Cruz County: Santa Cruz State: California Birth Date: 11 May 1899 Race: White Roll: 1544331 DraftBoard: 0 Age:19 Occupation:College Student (University of California,Berkeley) Nearest Relative:Benjamin K. Knight (Father) Height/Build:Tall/Medium Color of Eyes/Hair:Brown/Brown Source Citation: Registration Location: Santa Cruz County, California; Roll: 1544331; Draft Board: 0.

CENSUS: 1900 United States Federal Census Name: Benjamin B Knight Home in 1900: Santa Cruz Ward 2, Santa Cruz, California Age: 1 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1899 Birthplace: California Relationship to head-of-house: Grandson Father's Name: Benjamine Mother's Name: Helen B Race: White Occupation: Household Members: Name Age Benjamin Knight 64 Lydia A Knight 49 Benjamine Knight 25 Helen B Knight 27 Benjamin B Knight 1 Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Santa Cruz Ward 2, Santa Cruz, California; Roll: T623 112; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 89.

1910 United States Federal Census Name: Benjamin B Knight Age in 1910: 10 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1900 Birthplace: California Relation to Head of House: Son Father's Name: Benjamin K Father's Birth Place: California Mother's Name: Helen B Mother's Birth Place: Canada English Home in 1910: Santa Cruz Ward 2, Santa Cruz, California Marital Status: Single Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age Benjamin K Knight 35 Helen B Knight 35 Benjamin B Knight 10 Marion Knight 8 Edith Knight 2 Mary Grasso 17 Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Santa Cruz Ward 2, Santa Cruz, California; Roll: T624_106; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 127; Image: 1330.

United States Federal Census Name: Benj B Knight Home in 1920: Santa Cruz Ward 5, Santa Cruz, California Age: 20 years Estimated Birth Year: abt 1900 Birthplace: California Relation to Head of House: Son Father's Name: Benj K Father's Birth Place: California Mother's Name: Helen B Mother's Birth Place: Nova Scotia Marital Status: Single Race: White Sex: Male Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Image: 839 Household Members: Name Age Benj K Knight 45 Helen B Knight 42 Benj B Knight 20 Marian Knight 18 Edith Knight 12 Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Santa Cruz Ward 5, Santa Cruz, California; Roll: T625_148; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 235; Image: 839.