LEWISTOWN — Two families have been brought together by their service in the United States military.

Andrew Bennett, of Lewistown, recently graduated from Shippensburg University and has been commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Army.

Bennett, who is a 2017 Mifflin County High School graduate, was in the ROTC program at Shippensburg. He earned a three-year scholarship through the program and studied criminal justice.

He comes from a military family – he is a third generation soldier. He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, the late Joseph Bradley, who served in the Army from 1960 to 1963; and his father, Banks Bennett, who served in the Army from 1989 to 1991.

It was a special award he won during his freshman year at college that connected him to another family — the DeTamples.

After his first year of college, Bennett was awarded the first Nathan DeTample Award. Since 2018, the award has recognized a different ROTC cadet each year, for demonstrating a high degree of patriotism, character and selfless service.

The award honors the late Pfc. Nathanial DeTample, also a Shippensburg student, who was killed in the line of duty when he was deployed to Iraq at 19 years old.

“(Receiving the award) was a great honor because the DeTample family were actually the ones to present the award to me,” said Bennett.

His family continues to remember DeTample’s ultimate sacrifice.

Bennett’s grandmother, the late Jean Bradley, had crafted a family veteran poster prior to Bennett winning the award. It now includes pictures of four generations of military veterans in the family.

“I reached out to (the DeTamples) and asked if they have a photo,” said Bennett’s mother, Linda.

She added DeTample to the family flag poster.

“It’s important to honor fallen soldiers, both for their families that are at home and to show the support of the military overall because they gave the final sacrifice,” Andrew said. “They put everything out on the line and they did what they did to support our freedom back at home.”

On May 15, Bennett was one of 14 cadets commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army.

His father, Banks, gave Andrew his first salute during the commissioning ceremony.

“I’m very proud of his accomplishments,” Linda said.