Benning W. De La Mater
Agency patch
Game Protector

Benning W. De La Mater

Veteran → Accident
End of Watch June 24, 1961
Age 34
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
The Vigil Panel 96 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Game Protector De La Mater drowned when his boat capsized while patrolling the Hudson River near Federal Dam in Albany County. Protector De La Mater and a Niagara Mohawk Power Company employee could not escape the undercurrents. Their bodies were recovered two days later. Protector De La Mater was a United States Marine Corps World War II veteran and had served with the New York State Environmental Conservation Police for 12 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-A694F0BF
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Benning is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Game Protector De La Mater gave the New York State Environmental Conservation Police 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Albany community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Other
Location Albany, NY
Platform Identity nyseccons.albany.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 24, 1961
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Benning W. De La Mater served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Game Protector Benning W. De La Mater is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In NY, 645 of 2,147 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 30 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New York State Environmental Conservation Police, 6 of 18 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

New York State Environmental Conservation Police
6
of 18 officers
33.3% Accident
NY — Statewide
645
of 2,147 officers
30% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benning W. De La Mater's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Benning W. De La Mater Compares

Age at Death
34
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
12
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Benning W. De La Mater is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Military Service

Benning W. De La Mater served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

Visit Benning W. De La Mater’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.