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Sgt Roy P Benavidez Medal of Honour.
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Unbelieveable!! I had never heard of this soldier or of his actions. I have always been proud of being a United States Army Veteran, but now am even more so, knowing that men like Roy P. Benavidez belong to the brotherhood of veterans.
I salute Roy P. Benavidez this day, and honor his actions saving the lives of trapped and wounded men in an unbelieveably hostile and seemingly hopeless situation, where a lesser man would have given up.
I will bring up the story of Roy P. Benavidez at my American Legion's Dinner for Wounded Warriors this June 1st.
salute;med;salute;
I salute Roy P. Benavidez this day, and honor his actions saving the lives of trapped and wounded men in an unbelieveably hostile and seemingly hopeless situation, where a lesser man would have given up.
I will bring up the story of Roy P. Benavidez at my American Legion's Dinner for Wounded Warriors this June 1st.
salute;med;salute;
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I'll keep this short as my lengthy posts continue to be deleted when I try to reply on here.
I met this brave man at the Vietnam Memorial dedication in Washington, D.C. on November 13, 1982. One of my most cherished memories and photos of that three days there is several photos of myself and two other Marines and one Soldier, all with out arms around each other and Roy Benavidez in the middle, wearing the Medal of Honor around his neck. I remember that he was a quite and humble man but like most Special Forces and Texans, he liked his special brand of beverage when the right moment arrived to salute or remember someone or some special incident. He was part Yaqui Indian so when he was first taken off of the chopper, they thought he was one of the Montagnards that made up nine of the twelve man team, that and the fact that he was covered in blood from head to toe and thought to be beyond saving. He could only spit blood as they zipped up his body bag or else he probably would have slowly died inside that body bag. I have more to write but I will stop for now.
I met this brave man at the Vietnam Memorial dedication in Washington, D.C. on November 13, 1982. One of my most cherished memories and photos of that three days there is several photos of myself and two other Marines and one Soldier, all with out arms around each other and Roy Benavidez in the middle, wearing the Medal of Honor around his neck. I remember that he was a quite and humble man but like most Special Forces and Texans, he liked his special brand of beverage when the right moment arrived to salute or remember someone or some special incident. He was part Yaqui Indian so when he was first taken off of the chopper, they thought he was one of the Montagnards that made up nine of the twelve man team, that and the fact that he was covered in blood from head to toe and thought to be beyond saving. He could only spit blood as they zipped up his body bag or else he probably would have slowly died inside that body bag. I have more to write but I will stop for now.
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Roy Benavidez had already proved he was made of special stuff. On his first tour of duty in Vietnam in 1964 as a military advisor to the ARVN, he had tripped a land mine booby trap and been paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors said he would never walk again but he proved them wrong and regained his strength and made himself walk and within a year he was accepted for Special Forces training. Hence his return to Vietnam in 1968. For his actions that day in Cambodia on May 2, 1968, Staff Sgt. Benavidez was originally recommended for and received the Distinguished Service Cross in September of 1968. This was our nations second highest award for valor, but years later, after more information became available, it was upgraded to a request for the Medal of Honor but because it had been too long and eyewitnesses were unavailable, it was disapproved initially. For his bravery that day, he was wounded 28 times and spent over a year in various hospitals to recover. In 1980, another eyewitness was located and the award for the MOH was approved by Congress and on February 21, 1981, President Reagan put it around the neck of Staff Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez.
I'm sad to say that this brave man has passed away and I think of him often.
Semper Fidelis, Fox
I'm sad to say that this brave man has passed away and I think of him often.
Semper Fidelis, Fox
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Thank you
Hi mate, thank you so much for sharing that great experience of yours. Perhaps it was the part Yaqui Indian that pulled him through. From the little I know of US Western History, the Yaquis were up there with the Apaches for stoicism, endurance and fighting spirit.
Good to see you back on line.
Mike
Hi mate, thank you so much for sharing that great experience of yours. Perhaps it was the part Yaqui Indian that pulled him through. From the little I know of US Western History, the Yaquis were up there with the Apaches for stoicism, endurance and fighting spirit.
Good to see you back on line.
Mike
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Mike,
Good to hear from you again. How is it going down under ?
My Dad served with a few American Indians in WW II and Korea.
He said they had much courage under fire and seemed to possess those qualities that made them fearless in battle. However, many times, these very qualities that make them fearsome in battle, make them very difficult troops in peacetime. I have always said that there are leaders and followers and then there are people like native Americans, who follow and lead no one but themselves and fight for personal principles far superior to simple orders from their leaders. It is a pity that wars are started by those least likely to fight them and are fought by those most unlikely to start them. As you and I know, it takes a special breed of man who agrees with: "Ours is not to ask why, ours is but to do or die !", or words to that effect. All I know is that when I read of the exploits of people like Roy P. Benavidez, it makes me realize that each of us has in us that special quality that can elevate us to heights we never suspected we could attain. It is only when confronted with death and when decisions are made in a split second, and usually to save others, not yourself, that we learn what we are really capable of. Combat brings out the worst and the best in man, and each is based on personal decisions about life and death. I saw many a heroic act that went without official notice and I saw many a man make that decision to risk all for another, even if it meant sure death. This is what I learned from combat in Vietnam, we fought for each other and our outfit, not for some politician hiding behind our flag in Washington, D.C.
Semper Fi my friend, Scott
Good to hear from you again. How is it going down under ?
My Dad served with a few American Indians in WW II and Korea.
He said they had much courage under fire and seemed to possess those qualities that made them fearless in battle. However, many times, these very qualities that make them fearsome in battle, make them very difficult troops in peacetime. I have always said that there are leaders and followers and then there are people like native Americans, who follow and lead no one but themselves and fight for personal principles far superior to simple orders from their leaders. It is a pity that wars are started by those least likely to fight them and are fought by those most unlikely to start them. As you and I know, it takes a special breed of man who agrees with: "Ours is not to ask why, ours is but to do or die !", or words to that effect. All I know is that when I read of the exploits of people like Roy P. Benavidez, it makes me realize that each of us has in us that special quality that can elevate us to heights we never suspected we could attain. It is only when confronted with death and when decisions are made in a split second, and usually to save others, not yourself, that we learn what we are really capable of. Combat brings out the worst and the best in man, and each is based on personal decisions about life and death. I saw many a heroic act that went without official notice and I saw many a man make that decision to risk all for another, even if it meant sure death. This is what I learned from combat in Vietnam, we fought for each other and our outfit, not for some politician hiding behind our flag in Washington, D.C.
Semper Fi my friend, Scott
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