By Kayla Lass, Intern – Archives & Historical Collections, Congressional Medal of Honor Society

Raul ‘Roy’ Perez Benavidez was awarded the Medal of Honor in February of 1981 for his actions during the Vietnam War. While stationed in Cambodia in May 1968, Benavidez showed “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action” when he ran directly into enemy fire and took control of an extremely dangerous situation, saving many lives and classified documents in the process. As his Medal of Honor citation states, Benavidez willingly jumped out of a helicopter and ran towards a team that had been incapacitated and severely wounded. Despite being hit in the face, back, abdomen, and nearly every other place possible, he prioritized the wounded and dead men he had come to assist. He not only provided protective fire so that rescue helicopters could land safely, but he gathered the remaining men and took charge of a seemingly hopeless situation. He was able to rally the remaining soldiers, create a clear plan on how to rescue his comrades, provide critical first aid, recover classified documents, and hold back the enemy long enough to successfully evacuate the area.

As the National Museum of the United States Army puts it, “If the Army had created a personification of the Warrior Ethos, it would have been Roy Benavidez. [He] personified mental and physical toughness.” His actions in Cambodia that day led to severe injuries that nearly led to his death. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1981, as well as 5 Purple Hearts, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.

Roy Benavidez’s legacy cannot be defined by these actions alone. A brief look into his life shows that his strength and character went deeper than his service; it was ingrained in who he was as a man just as much as who he was as a soldier. Benavidez was born on August 5, 1935 in the small town of Cuero, Texas. He was of Mexican and Yaqui Native descent. From the start, his life was not considered easy. He lost his parents as a young boy. Upon their death, he was sent to live with his Uncle and was separated from his hometown and his half-sister. He was thrust into a home with 8 cousins; in his own words “we were poor but we had love”. The value of hard work was instilled in him early on, belonging to a family of sharecroppers and migrant farmers. He left school in 7th grade to continue to work until he joined the Texas Army National Guard, and later the U.S. Army. Compounding all of these experiences was the racism that he faced throughout his life; discriminated against for his identity as a Mexican-American, Benavidez worked hard to derail assumptions made about Hispanic Americans. As an older man, Benavidez recalled being segregated by, bullied, and abused by his white counterparts. The obstacles that Benavidez overcame throughout his childhood and young adulthood helped forge the man that, upon his passing in December of 1998, left a legacy of self-sacrifice, bravery, and the willingness to stand up and do the right thing.

In his later years, Roy Benavidez was an advocate for education, underprivileged children, and for disabled veterans. He spent his time traveling to encourage young people to work hard and to forge their own futures. He also successfully fought to protect disabled veterans’ access to benefits through the U.S. Government. Even years after his actions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, he worked to protect and serve others.

Benavidez is one of nearly 60 Hispanic men that have been awarded the Medal of Honor and one of around 20 from Texas.

Further Reading & Viewing:

• Benavidez, Roy and Oscar Griffin. The Three Wars of Roy Benavidez. San Antonio: Corona Publishing Co., 1986.
• Medal of Honor Presentation to Roy Benavidez, film courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/38995329
• Graphic Novel about Roy Benavidez, published by the Association of the U.S. Army: https://online.flowpaper.com/77a9072e/AUSAGraphicNovelIssue2RoyBenavidez/#page=1

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