Bennie Langford Corley

Retired Navy Commander dies at age 92

April 4, 1929 – September 4, 2021

A patriot now rests in the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery, laid to rest January 5, 2022 with full military honors.

Commander Bennie L. Corley dedicated more than four decades of his life to the defense and safety of the United States and its Allies, concluding his 42 years of service as one of the world’s premier nuclear explosive safety specialists. He helped protect this country during some of the most treacherous periods since the end of World War II. The full scope of his contributions will never be public due to national security.

Dating to the Revolutionary War, every generation of his family has served this nation. John Sanders Ashley was a pack horseman who served under Captain Mappi and Colonel Roebuck of South Carolina, and the ancestor establishing membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. Commander Corley is also a member of the First Families of Tennessee as a direct descendent of Lavina Hale Ashley, who settled in Tennessee prior to statehood, June 1, 1796.

Commander Corley was born at home in Alamo, Crocket County, Tennessee to Mary Milton Langford Corley, a nurse and Bennie Oather Corley, a pharmacist. Having worked his way through high school at Baxter Seminary, he graduated with honors, earning a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. During ‘plebe summer’ a deficiency in depth perception was detected during an eye exam. Stringent vision regulations at the time disqualified him. Determined to make his way back into the Service, he earned a PhD in pharmacy at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, Memphis, with honors, in 1952. While there he served as president of Phi Delta Chi professional pharmaceutical fraternity, president of the NUX club and member of Rho Chi, the National Scholastic Honorary Pharmaceutical Society.

He entered Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned as a Naval Officer in July 1953.

Commander Corley’s career of 28 years active duty in the Navy and 14 years as an official in the Department of Energy included significant contribution to the defense of the United States and its Allies. Serving in theaters around the world, including Korea and Vietnam, he valued education and continued to hone his skills in a variety of fields. As a military trial attorney, he never lost a single case whether assigned to the prosecution or defense, serving in what is today known as the JAG Corps.

During the First Formosa Strait Crisis (1954-1955), he served on the staff of the Commander Formosa Patrol Force, providing critical support in protecting Formosa (Taiwan) and the Pescadores Islands from invasion from the People’s Republic of China.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, in October 1962, he was the Officer-in-Charge of the Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Unit in the Caribbean that armed all of the many Navy aircraft patrol squadrons that participated in intercepting and turning back Russian ships transporting nuclear warheads to Cuba. This military action blocked the introduction of these warheads into Cuba, which was intended by Soviet Chairman Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, to establish a serious threat to the United States only 90 miles from the U.S. mainland and subsequently, through negotiation, narrowly avoided a catastrophic global nuclear weapon exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Commander Corley then studied at the prestigious Naval Postgraduate School (1964-1965), receiving an MBA in July 1965.

During the most critical years of the Vietnam War, in 1965-1970, he served as the Director of the Weapons Department on the staff of the Commander Fleet Air Western Pacific. In this capacity, he directed weapon support operations for all aircraft carriers deployed to the Tonkin Gulf and the South China Sea and for Marine aircraft commands operating in Vietnam. Administration, training, evaluation and inspection of all Navy nuclear weapon operational units located throughout the Western Pacific were also his responsibility.

Commander Corley served in the Nuclear Explosive Safety Division of the Field Command, Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) 1970-1973. He represented DASA on the committees of the military services, evaluating safety and security of nuclear weapon operations in the Navy, Army and Air Force throughout the world and formulating safety/security rules by which these operations were conducted.

From 1973-1977 he served as the Executive Officer and Assistant Professor of Naval Science of the NROTC Unit and Department of Naval Science at the University of New Mexico preparing talented midshipmen to become commissioned officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.

As the Chief of the Nuclear Explosive Safety Division of the Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) from 1977-1980, he directed DNA representation on the committees of the military services evaluating safety and security of nuclear weapon operations in the Navy, Army and Air Force throughout the world and formulating safety/security rules that governed those activities.

During 1980-1985, he served in the Nuclear Explosive Safety Division of the Field Command of the Department of Energy as Chairman of the committee evaluating the safety and security of production of nuclear weapons and those being modernized, and formulating safety/security rules by which these operations were conducted. He was also Chairman of the committee evaluating the safety and security of scheduled underground testing at the Nevada Test Site of new nuclear weapons designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and formulating safety/security regulations controlling the operations.

Commander Corley continued serving in the Nuclear Explosive Safety Division of the Field Command of the Department of Energy (1985-1994) representing the Department of Energy on the committees of the Navy, Army and Air Force evaluating the safety and security of all nuclear weapon operations world-wide of the three services and formulation of the safety/security rules governing these operations.

In September 1994 he retired from a full-time position, but continued in an advisory capacity relating to underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. He chose full retirement in 1996.

In the entire history since the development of nuclear weapons in 1945, there has never been a nuclear yield in any of the accidents that have occurred involving nuclear weapons. This was of great satisfaction to Commander Corley in that it validated the value of his contribution to the nuclear explosive safety programs of the military services, the Atomic Energy Commission and later, the Department of Energy.

Commander Corley earned numerous commendations including the Navy Commendation Medal and Joint Service Commendation Medal, both awarded for an exceedingly heroic act, exceptional achievement or service. He was also awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the non-combat equivalent of the Bronze Star.

He was extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to serve his country for more than four decades in positions of significant responsibility during periods of great peril to the United States.

Shortly before his death Commander Corley was asked about his decision to devote his life in the service of our county:

“The Navy was good to me, and the Veteran’s Administration continues in that tradition. My military service gave me the opportunity to lead a meaningful life and to do things of substance that benefitted my fellow citizens and made me proud to be an American. In a word, I got more than I gave.”

He lived as he served, an exemplary public servant who embodied integrity, dignity and principles. Live a life of service. Be true to your word. Integrity is everything. Do for others without any expectation of return. This proud Tennessean gave generously of his time, talent and means, a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

Commander Corley’s absolute dedication to his country was matched only by the devotion to his family. During the time he was stationed in Japan he met Kiyoko Fujibayashi of Kobe. They married in 1959 in Kanagawa, their union lasted 42 years. He is survived by daughter Sumiko Moots (Carey), grandchildren Liam, Clare and Cera, and daughter Mariko Corley. His great love of the outdoors, including hunting and fishing, was passed down to grandson Liam, with whom he created cherished memories.

Bennie Corley passed away at age 92 from natural causes at home in Albuquerque, New Mexico surrounded by family. At his specific request, a private memorial was attended by family and close friends.

The depth of our grief is endless, as is our love and gratitude for a man who put duty above all things. Duty to family, country, and people around the globe. Until the glorious day we see you again, our dear Papa, we miss you and hold you in our hearts.