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The Jewish Home | JUNE 9, 2022
Forgotten Forgotten Her Her es es
Master Master Sergeant Sergeant Roy Roy Benavidez Benavidez Fighting Fighting to to the the Finish Finish by Avi Heiligman by Avi Heiligman
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OctOber OctOber 29,29, 2015 2015 | the | the Jewish Jewish Home Home
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he Unites States Special Forces, he States alsoUnites known as theSpecial Green Forces, Berets, also known as the Greenback Berets, can trace their roots to can trace their roots back World War II. Their main mission is to to World War II. main mission to train forces in Their occupied areas and is lead train forces in occupied areas and lead them on operations against the enemy. them operations against the enemy. Otheron responsibilities include search Other responsibilities include search and rescue, hostage rescue, and humanand rescue, hostage rescue, and humanitarian assistance, among other combat itarian assistance, among other combat and non-combat roles. andDuring non-combat roles. World War II, the OSS (the During World theunits OSSfrom (the forerunner to the War CIA)II, and forerunner to the CIA) and units from branches of the military trained in spebranches of to theperform militarythese trained in special tactics missions. cial tactics to perform these missions. During the 1950s, the Special Forces During the 1950s, thea group, Specialwith Forces units was formed into the units was formed into a thgroup, with the establishment of the 10 Special Forces establishment of thevery 10th active SpecialinForces Group. They were VietGroup. They were very active Vietnam, and several Special Forces in soldiers nam, and several Special Forces soldiers were awarded and noted for bravery in were andthat noted forHollywood bravery in battleawarded in scenes even battle in scenes that even Hollywood tried to recreate. tried tostory recreate. The of Master Sergeant Roy BeThe story Master Sergeant Benavidez couldofhave come straightRoy from a navidez could have come straight from a movie, and some parts of “Rambo” may movie, and some parts of “Rambo” may have been based on his exploits. He have beeninbased ona his exploits. He was born Texas to Mexican farmer. was born in Texas to a Mexican farmer. His parents died when he was a young His parents died he by wasrelatives. a young child, and he waswhen raised child, and he was raised by relatives. Benavidez joined the National Guard Benavidez joined War the and National Guard during the Korean in 1959 went during the Korean War and in 1959 through airborne training to joinwent the through airborne training to join the
82nd Airborne Division. In 1965, he was nd 82 Airborne Division. he was deployed to Vietnam asIn an1965, adviser but deployed to Vietnam as an adviser but was evacuated after stepping on a landwas evacuated after stepping on a landmine. Doctors informed the soldier that mine. informed the soldier that he mayDoctors never walk again, but he didn’t he may never walk again, but he didn’t let that get in the way of getting out of let get intothe getting outexof bedthat at night tryway and of walk. It was bed at night to try and walk. It was excruciating work, but after a year, he was cruciating work, butthe after a year,without he was able to walk out of hospital able to walk out of the hospital without
border. They had run into an enemy batborder. had run into an enemy battalion ofThey about 1,000 soldiers and were talion of about 1,000 soldiers and were surrounded. Three helicopters already surrounded. Three the helicopters already had failed to rescue three Americans had failed to rescue the three Americans and nine Montagnard tribesmen that and nine trained Montagnard that had been by thetribesmen Green Berets. had been trained by the Green Berets. Benavidez jumped on board another heBenavidez jumped onwith board another helicopter armed only a Bowie knife licopter armed only with a Bowie knife and a medical bag. As they neared the and a medical bag. As they neared the
After another examination, he was After another examination, he was discovered to have suffered 37 wounds from discovered to have suffered 37 wounds from bayonet stabs, shrapnel and bullets bayonet stabs, shrapnel and bullets during the six-hour fight with the enemy. during the six-hour fight with the enemy. assistance. Benavidez was sent to Fort assistance. Benavidez was sent to Fort Bragg to complete his rehabilitation and Bragg to complete his rehabilitation and in 1967 completed Special Forces trainin 1967 completed Special Forces trainth ing. Assigned to the 5 Special Forces ing. Assigned theback 5th Special Forces Group, he was to sent to Vietnam for Group, he was sent back to Vietnam for a second tour of duty. a second tour of duty. On May 2, 1968, Benavidez heard On May 2, that 1968,a Benavidez over the radio twelve-manheard Speover the radio that a twelve-man cial Forces reconnaissance patrolSpewas cial Forces patrol was pleading forreconnaissance help near the Cambodian pleading for help near the Cambodian
firefight, he jumped out of the helicopter firefight, he jumped outrunning of the helicopter and was hit in the leg towards and was hit in the leg running towards the beleaguered group. Once on scene, the beleaguered group. Once on scene, Benavidez pulled the unit out one by Benavidez pulled the unit out one by one into a defensive position all while one into a defensive position all while attending to their wounds. Against devattending to their wounds. Against men devastating fire, he got the wounded astating fire, he got the wounded men to the helicopter and picked up an AKto helicopter and picked up an AK47 the to fight back the approaching enemy. 47 to fight back the approaching enemy. His close friend, Leroy Wright, had been His close friend, Leroy Wright, had been
killed during the firefight, and Benavikilled during the firefight, and Benavidez took the intelligence documents that dez took the intelligence documents he had been carrying so they wouldthat not he carryinghands. so they would not fallhad intobeen Communist fallUnfortunately, into Communist thehands. chopper that had Unfortunately, chopper that had been carrying thethe wounded soldiers been carrying the wounded soldiers crashed, and Benavidez ran and cleared crashed, and Benavidez and cleared the survivors from theran wreckage. An the survivors from the wreckage. An F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bomber held F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bomber held back the enemy. However, the jet’s fuel back the jet’s fuel soon the ran enemy. low andHowever, had to return to base. soon ran low and had to return to base. The enemy started their attack again The started their attack again and enemy had them surrounded. When it and had them surrounded. When it looked like there was no escape, anothlooked like there was no escape, another helicopter appeared, and Benavidez er helicopter appeared, Benavidez started dragging the menand to the aircraft. started dragging the men to the He had been wounded severalaircraft. times, He been times, andhad blood waswounded blurringseveral his vision. A and blood was blurring his vision. A North Vietnamese soldier attacked him North Vietnamese soldier attacked him with his rifle and slashed him with the with his rifle and slashed with the bayonet. Benavidez pulledhim the bayonet, bayonet. Benavidez pulled the bayonet, took out his Bowie knife, and stabbed took out his Bowie knife,NVA and soldiers stabbed the soldier. Two other the soldier. Two other NVA soldiers were killed by the Green Beret when were killedupbyanthe Green when he picked M-16 and Beret fired many he picked up an M-16 and fired many rounds. At this point, the interpreter rounds. At surviving this point,men thewere interpreter and all the loaded and all the surviving men were loaded on the helicopter, and the classified maon the helicopter, and the classified material was destroyed. Finally, Benavidez terial was destroyed. Finally, Benavidez allowed himself to be evacuated. allowed to berescued evacuated. Eighthimself men were thanks to Eight men were rescued thanks to Benavidez’s heroic efforts, but when Benavidez’s heroic efforts, but when
