officer in the Department of the Army in 1950-54, acting as joint political adviser to the commanding general United Nations forces and UN ambassador, Korea, in 1951-52, and studied at the Armed Forces Staff College (now the Joint Forces Staff College) in 1953. He served as a military attaché at the US embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1955-58, and was assigned to the Department of State in 1958-60. He then served in the Executive Office of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), from 1960–66, also serving as a consultant on politico-military affairs to the US Army Staff in 1960, and as a plans and program officer on the Army Staff, Department of Defense, in 1964. Benjamin Vandervoort died on November 18, 1990 at the age of 73 years at a nursing home from the effects of a fall. He had two children with his wife Nedra; a son (Benjamin Hayes Vandervoort II) and a daughter (Marlin Vandervoort). Awards and decorations In the early 1990s, the United States Army Center for Leadership at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, selected one or two colonels or lieutenant colonels from every American War from the Revolution to Vietnam. Colonel Vandervoort was selected as the outstanding ground battle commander for World War II. He is honored by a brief biography and several photographs in what is known as "Leadership Hallway" located on the second floor of Bell Hall. Portrayed in film Vandervoort was portrayed by actor John Wayne in the film version of Cornelius Ryan's history of D-Day, The Longest Day. The role was actively sought by Charlton Heston, but the last-minute decision of John Wayne to take a role in the film prevented Heston from participating. At the time of filming in 1962, Wayne was 55 – 28 years older than the 27-year-old Vandervoort had been on D-Day. In museum Original World War II uniforms and memorabilia of Col. Ben Vandervoort are on display at this museum: D-DAY EXPERIENCE - Saint-Come-du-Mont - Normandy, France References Bibliography Michel de Trez: Col. Ben Vandervoort "Vandy" 0-22715 (Way We Were), D-Day Publishing, 2004, External links The Liberation of Goronne New York Times Obituary Debriefing Conference - Operation Neptune, 82nd Airborne Division Information on "Vandy" United States Army Officers 1939−1945 Joint Forces Staff College alumni United States military attachés Ohio State University alumni United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army colonels American people of Dutch descent Recipients