On Sep 2, 6:10 am,

On February 24, 1981, President Ronald Reagan presented him the Medal
of
Honor. During the ceremony President Reagan turned to the gathered
press and
said, "you are going to hear something you would not believe if it
were a
script." He then read Master Sergeant Benavidez's citation:

BENAVIDEZ, ROY P.


Rank and organization:Master Sergeant. Organization: Detachment B-56,
5th
Special Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam
Place and date: West of Loc Ninh on 2 May 1968
Entered service at: Houston, Texas June 1955
Born:5 August 1935, DeWitt County, Cuero, Texas.


Citation:


"Master Sergeant, then Staff Sergeant, United States Army. Who
distinguished
himself by a series of daring and extremely glorious actions on 2 May
1968
while assigned to Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group
(Airborne). 1st
Special Forces, Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 2 May 1968, a
12-man
Special Forces Reconnaissance Team was inserted by helicopters in a
dense
jungle area west of Loc Ninh, Vietnam to gather intelligence
information
about confirmed large-scale enemy activity. This area was controlled
and
routinely patrolled by the North Vietnamese Army. After a short period
of
time on the ground, the team met heavy enemy resistance and requested
emergency extraction. 3 helicopters attempted extraction, but were
unable to
land due to intense enemy small arms and anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant
Benavidez was at the Forward Operating Base in Loc Ninh monitoring
the
operation by radio when these helicopters returned to off-load wounded
crew
members and to assess aircraft damage. Sergeant Benavidez voluntarily
boarded a returning aircraft to assist in another extraction attempt.
Realizing that all the team members were either dead or wounded and
unable
to move to the pickup zone, he directed the aircraft to a nearby
clearing
where he jumped from the hovering helicopter, and ran approximately
75
meters under withering small arms fire to the crippled team. Prior to
reaching the team's position he was wounded in his right leg, face and
head.
Despite these painful injuries he took charge, repositioning the team
members and directing their fire to facilitate the landing of an
extraction
aircraft, and the loading of wounded and dead team members. He then
threw
smoke canisters to direct the aircraft to the team's position. Despite
his
severe wounds and under intense enemy fire, he carried and dragged
half of
the wounded team members to the awaiting aircraft. He then provided
protective fire by running alongside the aircraft as it moved to pick
up the
remaining team members. As the enemy's fire intensified, he hurried
to
recover the body and classified documents on the dead team leader.
When he
reached the leader's body, Sergeant Benavidez was severely wounded by
small
arms fire in the abdomen and grenade fragments in his back. At nearly
the
same moment, the aircraft pilot was mortally wounded, and his
helicopter
crashed. Although in extremely critical condition due to his multiple
wounds, Sergeant Benavidez secured the classified documents and made
his way
back to the wreckage, where he aided the wounded out of the
overturned
aircraft, and gathered the stunned survivors into a defensive
perimeter.
Under increasing enemy automatic weapons and grenade fire, he moved
around
the perimeter distributing water and ammunition to his weary men,
reinstilling in them a will to live and fight. Facing a buildup of
enemy
opposition with a beleaguered team, Sergeant Benavidez mustered his
strength, began calling in tactical air strikes and directed the fire
from
supporting gun ships to suppress the enemy's fire and so permit
another
extraction attempt. He was wounded again in his thigh by small arms
fire
while administering first aid to a wounded team member just before
another
extraction helicopter was able to land. His indomitable spirit kept
him
going as he began to ferry his comrades to the craft. On his second
trip
with the wounded, he was clubbed with additional wounds to his head
and arms
before killing his adversary. He then continued under devastating fire
to
carry the wounded to the helicopter. Upon reaching the aircraft, he
spotted
and killed 2 enemy soldiers who were rushing the craft from an angle
that
prevented the aircraft door gunner from firing upon them. With little
strength remaining, he made one last trip to the perimeter to ensure
that
all classified material had been collected or destroyed, and to bring
in the
remaining wounded. Only then, in extremely serious condition from
numerous
wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled into the
extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benavidez' gallant choice to voluntarily
join
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 8 men. His fearless personal
leadership,
tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face
of
overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the
military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him and the United
States
Army."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Benavidez