10/26/05 Pfc. David Benoit will now be stationed in Washington D.C., near his injured brother, James, an Army specialist.

aaron houston / daily record

Morris Hills sophomore Vinny Ambrosio plays his half of a guitar duet during rehearsal for a benefit show that will in part benefit the Benoit family. The fundraiser will be held in the school's auditorium on Thursday at 7 p.m. CAP aaron houston / special to the daily record Morris Hills sophomore Vinny Ambrosio plays his half of a guitar duet during rehearsal for a benefit show that will benefit the Benoit family and victims of Hurricane Katrina. The fundraiser will be held in the school's auditorium on Thursday at 7 p.m. CAP Morris Hills High School teachers, from left, Marie McMenamy and Jen Ward rehearse a duet for a fundraiser that will in part raise money for injured Army Specialist James Benoit, right. CAP Pfc. David Benoit, seen in 2004, will be stationed near his injured brother, James. PQT How to help Upcoming fundraising efforts for the Benoit family Thursday: The Interact Club of Morris Hills High School will hold a benefit show at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. Proceeds will benefit both James Benoit, Our Fighting Knight Fund and the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the high school. Nov. 18: A pasta buffet will be held at St. John's United Methodist Church, 20 Church St., in Wharton. Tickets are $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children under 12. For more information, call Cindy Senatore at (973) 361-3719. Nov. 20: An Evening of Giving at the Rockaway Townsquare mall -- a private night of shopping, discounts and entertainment. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased by Thursday, Nov. 10. Of that amount, $7 will go to the James Benoit, Our Fighting Knight Fund. The remainder goes to the Simon Youth Foundation. Tickets can be purchased at Morris Hills High School or checks made out to the Benoit fund can be sent to the school in care of Todd Schoeps at 520 West Main St., Rockaway, N.J., 07866. LBL BENOIT FAMILY HDL Wharton mom relieved her sons will be near each other BTX by laura bruno daily record Margaret "Missy" Benoit has regained some peace of mind. The Wharton mom can shelve at least one of her worries: That her oldest son would be shipped back to Iraq, where her middle son was severely wounded six weeks ago. Instead, Pfc. David Benoit will be assigned to Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., from where he will be able to support his mother and his 23-year-old brother at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, also in the nation's capital. Last week, the U.S. Army told the family that David Benoit, 25, would not deploy to Iraq, but would be stationed at Fort Lee in Virginia, 150 miles from Walter Reed. Late Monday night, they got another call, this time telling the Benoits that David's new assignment, for at least one year, would be at Fort McNair. "It's a relief to know he will be close," Missy Benoit said Tuesday. "I'm quite excited he'll be able to come and check on his brother all the time." Army Specialist James "Jimmy" Benoit has a difficult recovery ahead. He was seriously wounded in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded next to the Humvee he was driving. The 2001 Morris Hills High School graduate was hit when he was only five months from completing his second tour in Iraq training the local police force. While other soldiers have come and gone through Walter Reed's doors, Jimmy Benoit is still confined to a bed. Extensive internal injuries have required near-daily surgeries, and doctors do not expect him to walk again. The Benoits are not sure what prompted the Army's change of heart. They had requested a compassionate reassignment and wondered how it would help to have David Benoit stationed at least two and half hours away from his brother at Fort Lee. Meanwhile, they've had several well-placed champions, including Jimmy Benoit's brigade commander, Walter Reed's surgeons and U.S. Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen's office, making calls on their behalf. "Whatever it took, we are thankful to everyone who got involved," Missy Benoit said. At the same time, back home, several groups are working to raise money for the family since Missy Benoit, a single mother, is on leave from her job. Morris Hills teachers and students have raised more than $8,000 for the Benoits. Proceeds from a benefit show at Morris Hills Thursday will also partly go to support the family. "It's just so moving, everything people are doing for us," she said. Laura Bruno can be reached at (973) 428-6626 or lbruno2@gannett.com