Ben Haymon

BIOGRAPHY

Ben Haymon was born in McKamie, Arkansas, USA, on 8 November 1909, as the son of a farming family. His parents were to Tom Haymon and Lucy Hughey. Before being drafted, he worked alongside his father on their farm in Springhill, Louisiana, where they raised crops. He also spent time working at a paper mill in Springhill. He was a lifelong Baptist who had been attending church since childhood, often traveling there by mule in his early years. He was married three times, and he had two daughters with his first wife and two sons with his second wife.

In 1941, at the age of 31, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, seven months before the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. At one point, he was stationed in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, tasked with maintaining an outpost to prevent Japanese forces from invading Australia. After his service in New Guinea, he was sent to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he saw firsthand some of the devastation caused by the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941. Serving as a cook, he was stationed in Port Moresby, Australia, before being reassigned to the New Hebrides—modern-day Vanuatu—with the 159th Port Company. He vividly remembered the harrowing nights at sea near the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, with artillery shells crashing around him.

After the war, he received an honorable discharge and began working at a lumber factory in Garland County, where he remained for four decades. The only time he ever missed work was during a battle with colon cancer in the 1970s. He eventually retired in the 1980s, but only after his son brought his age to the attention of a human resources worker at the factory. Allegedly, no one there realized he was already 80 years old. Within a week, the factory arranged his retirement. In retirement, he took up playing the guitar and harmonica, developing a love for music that lasted for decades. Even as a centenarian, he continued to play and enjoyed listening to the blues, with Muddy Waters and Lightnin’ Hopkins being his favorites.

Until 2012, he lived independently and continued driving his car until moving into a retirement home at the age of 102. Even at 107, his mind remained sharp, and he stayed deeply engaged with public affairs. At the time, he ate whatever he liked without following a special diet, and his kitchen cabinet was always stocked with diet soda. He attributed his longevity, in part, to growing up on a farm. He never developed habits like smoking or chewing tobacco. He drank alcohol only occasionally, though he did admit to having a fondness for Mogen David wine.

Haymon passed away at Good Life Assisted Living in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA, on 18 December 2019, at the age of 110 years, 40 days.

RECOGNITION

At the time of his passing, he was the oldest (known) living man in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and the state’s second-oldest (known) living resident, after Edna Runyon.

His age was validated by LongeviQuest on 11 December 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Arkansas’ oldest vet turns 105” – Hot Springs Sentinel Record, 11 November 2014

* “World War II vet recalls experiences” – Hot Springs Sentinel Record, 11 November 2015

* “Something in water for 106-year-old vet” – Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6 November 2016

* “Ben Haymon, World War II Veteran and Birthday Boy is 108 This Year!” – Tribute of Life Foundation, 2017

* Obituary – Magnolia Banner News, 26 December 2019

GALLERY

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