MASTER SERGEANT
ROY BENAVIDEZ: "On May 2, 1968, a 12-man Special Forces patrol was surrounded by an NVA infantry battalion of about 1,000 men. Benavidez heard the radio appeal for
help and boarded a helicopter to respond. Armed only with a knife, he jumped from the helicopter carrying his medical bag and ran to
help the trapped patrol. Benavidez "distinguished himself by a series of daring and extremely valorous actions... and because of his 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 eight men."
At one point in the battle an NVA soldier accosted him and stabbed him with his bayonet. Benavidez pulled it out, yanked out his own knife, killed him and kept going, leaving his knife in the NVA soldier's body. After the battle, he was evacuated to camp, examined, and thought to be
dead. As he was placed in a body bag, he was suddenly recognized by a friend who called for
help. A
doctor came and examined him but believed Benavidez was
dead. The
doctor was about to zip up the body bag when Benavidez managed to spit in his
face, alerting the
doctor that he was alive. Benavidez had a total of 37 separate bullet, bayonet, and shrapnel wounds from the six-hour fight with the enemy battalion.
He received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism and four Purple Hearts."