Roger James Bender
A legend in the militaria collecting community has passed
It is with the deepest regret that I have to inform our readers that a legend of our hobby has passed away. All will recognize the name “Roger Bender.”
Roger passed away in his sleep. He was 79 years old. At press time, no details were yet available.
As most of you know, Roger’s legacy will be the many books on collecting that he wrote and published for all of us. Before 1967, there were no definitive texts describing Third Reich militaria as a collectible. Some booklets existed which superficially described awards, uniforms and side-arms, but did not give the collector much useful information to help navigate the increasingly precarious collecting waters.
Bender Publishing sprung up from this need in 1967. While recognizing the evil which Adolf Hitler's Third Reich represented, Roger Bender started writing and publishing books with the militaria collector always in mind. With two 20th Century history degrees, and over forty years of publishing experience, Bender-Publishing created the largest knowledge base available to militaria collectors across the globe and garnered some prestigious awards along the way. Roger's contribution to the hobby can not be underestimated.
FUNERAL MASS
Friday, January 24, 2020
11:00 AM
Santa Teresa Catholic Church
792 Calero Avenue
San Jose, CA 95123
John Adams-Graf ("JAG" to most) is the editor of Military Trader and Military Vehicles Magazine. He has been a military collector for his entire life. The son of a WWII veteran, his writings carry many lessons from the Greatest Generation. JAG has authored several books, including multiple editions of Warman's WWII Collectibles, Civil War Collectibles, and the Standard Catalog of Civil War Firearms. He is a passionate shooter, wood-splitter, kayaker, and WWI AEF Tank Corps collector.
