Master Sergeant Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez, A Soldier's Story

A Soldier's Story: Master Sergeant Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez 

Master Sergeant Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez

Born August 5, 1935 - Died November 29, 1998

Roy Benavidez was born on August 5, 1935, in Lindenau, Texas, into circumstances marked early by loss and hardship. Tuberculosis claimed his father when Roy was just two years old and his mother when he was seven. Orphaned at a young age, Roy and his younger brother were raised by extended family—his grandfather, aunt, and uncle, in El Campo, Texas. These formative years instilled in him resilience, responsibility, and a fierce loyalty to family that would later define his service.

Benavidez left school early to help support his household, working a series of physically demanding jobs as a shoe shiner, farmhand, and tire repairman. Though formal education ended young, the discipline of labor and survival sharpened his work ethic and resolve, traits considered essential but often invisible forms of preparation for military life.

In 1952, Benavidez enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard and transitioned to active-duty U.S. Army service in 1955. He completed Airborne training and qualified for Special Forces, earning the coveted Green Beret at Fort Bragg. His career placed him among the Army’s most demanding operational units, soldiers trained not just for combat, but for endurance, adaptability, and leadership under extreme pressure.

In 1965, Benavidez deployed to Vietnam as an advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. During that tour, he stepped on a landmine, suffering devastating injuries. Doctors informed him he would never walk again. Refusing to accept this verdict, Benavidez secretly trained at night while hospitalized, rebuilding his strength through sheer will. After a year of relentless effort, he walked out of the hospital and returned to active duty—an act of determination that alone would have defined many military careers.

In January 1968, Benavidez was redeployed to Vietnam. On May 2, 1968, he volunteered to board a helicopter to rescue a 12-man Special Forces patrol that had been surrounded by a large enemy force. When the rescue helicopter was shot down, Benavidez fought on foot for nearly six hours, later described as “six hours in hell.” Armed with minimal equipment, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to recover the wounded, administer medical aid, and defend the position.

During the battle, Benavidez sustained extraordinary injuries: seven gunshot wounds, 28 shrapnel wounds, and multiple bayonet stabs. Exhausted and covered in blood, he was presumed dead when finally evacuated, until he spat in a doctor’s face as his body bag was being zipped closed, a final act of defiance that signaled he was still alive.

For his actions that day, Benavidez was awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation described a level of heroism nearly without parallel in modern warfare, sustained courage, self-sacrifice, and determination far beyond the call of duty.

Benavidez spent another year recovering before returning once more to active service. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1976 after more than two decades of service. In retirement, he dedicated himself to mentoring young people, speaking at schools and youth programs about discipline, responsibility, and character. He authored The Three Wars and Medal of Honor: A Vietnam Warrior’s Story, continuing to serve through testimony and example.

Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez died on November 29, 1998. His legacy endures not only through medals and memorials, but through the lives he saved and the countless young people he inspired. His story is not one of invincibility, but of perseverance, of a man who refused to stay down, refused to quit, and refused to leave others behind.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

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