H.R. No. 270
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The last American to be recognized with the
    1-2  prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor was Master Sergeant Roy P.
    1-3  Benavidez, a courageous Texan who was decorated for his valorous
    1-4  service in Vietnam and who has continued to exemplify the high
    1-5  ideals of this award by dedicating his life to helping young
    1-6  people; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, Symbolizing the highest recognition our nation can
    1-8  bestow on a citizen, the Congressional Medal of Honor is reserved
    1-9  for individuals who display exceptional courage and heroic resolve
   1-10  above and beyond the call of duty; although the medal can be
   1-11  conferred on civilians, it is generally awarded for valor in
   1-12  battle, and it was for conspicuous gallantry in combat that
   1-13  Sergeant Benavidez was awarded the medal on February 24, 1981; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, Born in Cuero, Sergeant Benavidez overcame a
   1-15  troubled childhood by finding discipline and guidance in the United
   1-16  States Army; orphaned at the age of six, he had dropped out of
   1-17  school by the time he was 14 but soon realized that his life was
   1-18  lacking direction; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, After enlisting in the Army, this dedicated soldier
   1-20  demonstrated the hard work, perseverance, and fortitude needed to
   1-21  join the elite ranks of a Special Forces Airborne unit, popularly
   1-22  known as the Green Berets; while serving in Vietnam in December
   1-23  1965, he was seriously wounded after stepping on a mine, and when
   1-24  he woke up in a San Antonio hospital nearly a month later, doctors
    2-1  told him he would never walk again; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, Proving his doctors wrong, Master Sergeant Benavidez
    2-3  not only regained the full use of his legs but returned to Vietnam
    2-4  to serve another tour of duty; stationed near Loc Ninh on May 2,
    2-5  1968, he received a radio transmission that changed his life: a
    2-6  12-man Special Forces Reconnaissance Team was surrounded by a
    2-7  battalion of more than 350 North Vietnamese soldiers and had no way
    2-8  out; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, Armed with only a bowie knife and a bag of medical
   2-10  supplies, this heroic man voluntarily boarded a helicopter and
   2-11  embarked on a rescue mission; he quickly found himself in the midst
   2-12  of a brutal firefight and was wounded in the leg almost immediately
   2-13  after he hit the ground; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, He subsequently sustained more bullet wounds to the
   2-15  leg, lower back, and chest, with one bullet piercing all the way
   2-16  through his body and collapsing his lung; miraculously, he
   2-17  continued to offer medical aid to his wounded comrades and provided
   2-18  protective fire for the aircraft until the pilot was killed by
   2-19  enemy fire, and the helicopter crashed moments before Master
   2-20  Sergeant Benavidez blacked out; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, When he regained consciousness, he crawled to the
   2-22  crippled aircraft and saved the men trapped inside, and he
   2-23  continued to aid and protect his fallen comrades until another
   2-24  helicopter arrived; this valiant soldier then made three trips
   2-25  under heavy fire to carry 17 dead and wounded colleagues to the
   2-26  aircraft, all the while sustaining serious wounds from flying
   2-27  shrapnel, and ultimately was forced to engage in hand-to-hand
    3-1  combat with an enemy soldier before being pulled to safety aboard
    3-2  the helicopter; and
    3-3        WHEREAS, In six hours of bitter fighting, Master Sergeant
    3-4  Benavidez saved the lives of eight fellow Green Berets, retrieved
    3-5  the bodies of others who had been killed in action, aided the
    3-6  downed helicopter crewmen, and retrieved a cache of vital
    3-7  classified documents; in the process, he was wounded 37 times, and
    3-8  medics had begun to zip him up in a body bag before he was able to
    3-9  alert them that he was still alive; and
   3-10        WHEREAS, Today, this patriotic American dedicates his time
   3-11  and energy to numerous veterans' groups and travels around the
   3-12  country speaking to students; he urges them to stay away from drugs
   3-13  and gangs and to continue their education, and when he relates to
   3-14  them the code of "Duty, Honor, Country" that has guided his life,
   3-15  he helps many young people to understand, perhaps for the first
   3-16  time, that freedom and responsibility go hand in hand; and
   3-17        WHEREAS, This courageous individual has been honored on
   3-18  numerous occasions throughout the nation and state, most recently
   3-19  on January 14, 1995, which was proclaimed "Master Sergeant Roy
   3-20  Benavidez Day" in Premont, and it is only fitting that the members
   3-21  of this chamber join in recognizing the heroism and sacrifice of
   3-22  this admirable Texan; now, therefore, be it
   3-23        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   3-24  Legislature hereby commend Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez for his
   3-25  heroic actions in service to his country and for his continuing
   3-26  efforts to inspire and positively influence the young people of
   3-27  Texas; and, be it further
    4-1        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    4-2  prepared for Master Sergeant Benavidez as an expression of highest
    4-3  regard and appreciation by the Texas House of Representatives.