Roy Benavidez
| Roy Benavidez | |
|---|---|
Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez c.1981
|
|
| Born |
August 5, 1935 Cuero, Texas |
| Died | November 29, 1998 (aged 63) Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston |
| Buried at | Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1952–1976 |
| Rank | Master Sergeant |
| Unit |
5th Special Forces Group Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart (5) Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Texas Legislative Medal of Honor |
Master Sergeant Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez (August 5, 1935 – November 29, 1998) was a member of the United States Army Special Forces (Studies and Observations Group) and retired United States Army master sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in combat near Lộc Ninh, South Vietnam on May 2, 1968.
Roy P. Benavidez was born in Lindenau near Cuero, Texas in DeWitt County. He was the son of a Mexican farmer, Salvador Benavidez and a Yaqui Indian mother, Teresa Perez. When he was two years old, his father died of tuberculosis and his mother remarried. Five years later, his mother died from tuberculosis as well. Benavidez and his younger brother Roger moved to El Campo, where their grandfather, uncle and aunt raised them along with eight cousins.
Benavidez shined shoes at the local bus station, labored on farms in California and Washington, and worked at a tire shop in El Campo. He attended school sporadically, and at age 15 he dropped out to work full-time to help support the family.
Benavidez enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard in 1952 during the Korean War. In June 1955, he switched from the Army National Guard to Army active duty. In 1959, he married Hilaria Coy Benavidez, completed airborne training, and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
...
Wikipedia