December 4, 1998
Retired Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez
was laid to rest at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in
San Antonio, Texas. The Army rendered full military honors at
the burial to the Vietnam hero and Medal of honor recipient.
Benavidez died Nov. 29 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, of respiratory failure and other ailments, at age 63. He had been ill for some months. He is survived by his wife and two daughters and a son.
Thirty years ago in Vietnam, on May 2, 1968, a badly injured Benavidez helped save the lives of at least eight Special Forces comrades. Benavidez had sustained nearly 40 wounds during a firefight with North Vietnamese forces west of Loc Ninh, yet he carried other wounded soldiers to evacuation helicopters under heavy enemy fire and through hand-to-hand combat.
Benavidez was so badly wounded that he was not expected to recover. His commander, hoping that Benavidez would live long enough to see his heroism honored by his country, recommended him for the Distinguished Service Cross rather than the Medal of Honor, which has a longer approval process.
Gen. William C. West-moreland presented the Distinguished Service Cross to Benavidez. Years later, upon learning the extent of the soldier's heroism, Westmoreland realized that Benavidez was deserving of the nation's highest honor. Benavidez's previous award was upgraded in 1981 to the Medal of Honor, which he received from then-President Ronald Reagan in a Pentagon ceremony.
"Roy was a soldier to be emulated by those wearing the uniform," said his friend, retired Army Master Sgt. Charlie Hoffman. Hoffman said Benavidez, who was of Mexican and Yaqui Indian ancestry, was "born poor" but became a "self-made person."
After receiving the Medal of Honor, Benavidez co-authored a book about his life, "Medal of Honor - A Vietnam Warrior's Story." He also spoke often to school groups, and a school in Houston was named for him. "He was a role model to many young Hispanics," Hoffman said. "Roy told young Hispanic teenagers they could make it to the top."
Benavidez was one of 239 Americans who received the Medal of Honor for their service in Vietnam. To date, 4,121 Medals of Honor have been authorized, with Army personnel having received the majority.
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