Born in Cuero, Texas, Roy Benavidez joined the US Army 5th Special Forces Group and rose to the rank of Master Sergeant during the Vietnam War.
On May 2nd 1968 then Staff Sergeant Benavidez distinguished himself by a series of daring and extremely courageous actions while assigned to Detachment B56, 5th Special Forces Group Airborne, Republic of Vietnam.
On the morning of2 May 1968 a 12-man Special Forces Reconnaissance Team was inserted by helicopters in a dense jungle area west ofLoc 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 resistance, and requested emergency extraction. Three 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 Nihn monitoring the operation by radio when these helicopters returned to offload wounded crewmembers and to assess aircraft damage.
Sgt. 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 teams 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 along side of 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, Sgt 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, Sgt Benavidez secured the classified documents and made his way to the wreckage, where he aided the wounded out of the overturned aircraft, and gathered the stunned survivors into the 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, Sgt. Benavidez mustered his strength, began calling in tactical air strikes and directed the firefrom 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.
His indomitable spirit kept him going as he began to ferry his comrades to the craft. On his second trip for the wounded he was clubbed from 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 two 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 insure that all classified materials 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 evacuated.
Sgt. Benavidez’ gallant choice to join voluntarily 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 eighty men.
His fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous action 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.