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Medal of Honor: One Man's Journey from...	Roy P. Benavidez passed on November 29, 1998; age 63

             Rank and Organization: Master Sergeant. Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces
            Group, Republic of Vietnam

            Place and date: West of Loc Ninh on 2 May 1968

            Entered service at: Houston, Texas June 1955

            Born: 5 August 1935, DeWitt County, Cuero, Texas

           Citation: Master Sergeant, then Staff Sergeant, United States Army. Who
           distinguished himself by a series of daring and extremely glorious actions on 2 May
           1968 while assigned to Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). 1st
           Special Forces, Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 2 May 1968, a 12-man
           Special Forces Reconnaissance Team was inserted by helicopters in a dense jungle
           area west of Loc Ninh, Vietnam to gather intelligence information about confirmed
           large-scale enemy activity. This area was controlled and routinely patrolled by the
           North Vietnamese Army. After a short period of time on the ground, the team met
           heavy enemy resistance and requested emergency extraction. 3 helicopters
           attempted extraction, but were unable to land due to intense enemy small arms and
           anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant Benavidez was at the Forward Operating Base in Loc
           Ninh monitoring the operation by radio when these helicopters returned to off-load
           wounded crew members and to assess aircraft damage. Sergeant Benavidez
           voluntarily boarded a returning aircraft to assist in another extraction attempt.
           Realizing that all the team members were either dead or wounded and unable to
           move to the pickup zone, he directed the aircraft to a nearby clearing where he
           jumped from the hovering helicopter, and ran approximately 75 meters under
           withering small arms fire to the crippled team. Prior to reaching the team's position
           he was wounded in his right leg, face and head. Despite these painful injuries he
           took charge, repositioning the team members and directing their fire to facilitate the
           landing of an extraction aircraft, and the loading of wounded and dead team
           members. He then threw smoke canisters to direct the aircraft to the team's position.
           Despite his severe wounds and under intense enemy fire, he carried and dragged
           half of the wounded team members to the awaiting aircraft. He then provided
           protective fire by running alongside the aircraft as it moved to pick up the remaining
           team members. As the enemy's fire intensified, he hurried to recover the body and
           classified documents on the dead team leader. When he reached the leader's body,
           Sergeant Benavidez was severely wounded by small arms fire in the abdomen and
           grenade fragments in his back. At nearly the same moment, the aircraft pilot was
           mortally wounded, and his helicopter crashed. Although in extremely critical
           condition due to his multiple wounds, Sergeant Benavidez secured the classified
           documents and made his way back to the wreckage, where he aided the wounded
           out of the overturned aircraft, and gathered the stunned survivors into a defensive
           perimeter. Under increasing enemy automatic weapons and grenade fire, he moved
           around the perimeter distributing water and ammunition to his weary men,
           reinstilling in them a will to live and fight. Facing a buildup of enemy opposition
           with a beleaguered team, Sergeant Benavidez mustered his strength, began calling in
           tactical air strikes and directed the fire from supporting gun ships to suppress the
           enemy's fire and so permit another extraction attempt. He was wounded again in his
           thigh by small arms fire while administering first aid to a wounded team member
           just before another extraction helicopter was able to land. His indomitable spirit
           kept him going as he began to ferry his comrades to the craft. On his second trip
           with the wounded, he was clubbed with additional wounds to his head and arms
           before killing his adversary. He then continued under devastating fire to carry the
           wounded to the helicopter. Upon reaching the aircraft, he spotted and killed 2 enemy
           soldiers who were rushing the craft from an angle that prevented the aircraft door
           gunner from firing upon them. With little strength remaining, he made one last trip to
           the perimeter to ensure that all classified material had been collected or destroyed,
           and to bring in the remaining wounded. Only then, in extremely serious condition
           from numerous wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled into the
           extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benavidez' gallant choice to voluntarily join his
           comrades who were in critical straits, to expose himself constantly to withering
           enemy fire, and his refusal to be stopped despite numerous severe wounds, saved
           the lives of at least 8 men. His fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to
           duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in
           keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect the utmost
           credit on him and the United States Army.

Roy P. Benavidez is survived by his wife, Hilaria; a son, Noel; two daughters, Yvette Garcia and
Denise Prochazka; a brother, Roger; five stepbrothers, Mike, Eugene, Frank, Nick and Juquin
Benavidez; four sisters, Mary Martinez, Lupe Chavez, Helene Vallejo and Eva Campos, and
three grandchildren.

Religion:  Catholic
First Hispanic G.I. Joe Figure

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