Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez (1935-1998), a United States Army Green Beret, received the Congressional Medal of Honor on February 24, 1981, for his extraordinary acts of valor on May 2, 1968, during the Vietnam War. Assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, MSG Benavidez risked his life repeatedly to save a 12-man reconnaissance team that had been inserted into enemy territory near Loc Ninh, Vietnam. The team quickly came under heavy fire, with nearly half the men, including their platoon leader, either killed or critically wounded.
As several rescue attempts by helicopter were thwarted by enemy gunfire, Benavidez, then a Sergeant, voluntarily boarded one of the returning helicopters to assist. Despite being wounded three times as he sprinted 225 yards through open ground toward the pinned-down unit, he pressed on. Reaching the survivors, he organized their defense and signaled for the helicopter to land. Under intense enemy fire, Benavidez personally dragged wounded men back to the aircraft, even as the situation became increasingly desperate.
During the extraction, he retrieved the body of the fallen team leader and others. He was successful in recovering critically classified documents through his efforts. Despite suffering further injuries, including grenade shrapnel to his back, Benavidez moved to rescue the crew when the extraction helicopter was shot down. He established a defensive perimeter, directed air strikes, and continued to inspire his comrades to fight back against overwhelming odds.
In total, Benavidez sustained 37 wounds during the hours-long battle. In hand-to-hand combat, he continued to load both the wounded and the dead onto another rescue helicopter, ensuring that as many soldiers as possible made it out. His incredible courage, tactical leadership, and refusal to give up, even when gravely wounded. Sergeant Benavidez saved lives and secured his place as one of America’s greatest military heroes (https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/roy-p-benavidez).
Additional Readings:
The US Navy honored MSG Benavidez by naming a Sealift dry cargo ship The USNS Benavidez Cargo Ship (https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/people/namesakes/roy-benavidez.html).
Roy P. Benavidez
(https://www.thenmusa.org/biographies/roy-p-benavidez/)