1-1 By: Wise (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh) H.C.R. No. 11 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 9, 2001; 1-3 April 9, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran 1-4 Affairs and Military Installations; April 24, 2001, reported 1-5 favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 24, 2001, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-8 WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established 1-9 by the 58th Texas Legislature to honor gallant and intrepid service 1-10 by a member of the State Military Forces of Texas, and through his 1-11 courageous actions during battle in the Vietnam War, Master 1-12 Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez distinguished himself as a worthy 1-13 recipient of this prestigious honor; and 1-14 WHEREAS, A native Texan, Sergeant Benavidez was born on 1-15 August 5, 1935, in DeWitt County, the son of a sharecropper; 1-16 orphaned at an early age and raised by relatives, he dropped out 1-17 of school at the age of 14 to work in the fields before enlisting 1-18 in the U.S. Army in June 1955; and 1-19 WHEREAS, While on his first tour of duty in Vietnam, this 1-20 admirable soldier was injured by a land mine and though doctors 1-21 feared he might never walk again, Sergeant Benavidez recovered 1-22 fully and returned to Vietnam with the Green Berets, an elite 1-23 Special Forces unit; and 1-24 WHEREAS, On the morning of May 2, 1968, while assigned to 1-25 the Loc Ninh base in South Vietnam, Sergeant Benavidez learned that 1-26 12 members of a Special Forces reconnaissance team were surrounded 1-27 by enemy troops inside Cambodia and under heavy fire; this heroic 1-28 Texan courageously volunteered for the evacuation mission to aid in 1-29 the rescue of his fellow soldiers; and 1-30 WHEREAS, Though intense small-arms and anti-aircraft fire 1-31 made the rescue operation tremendously dangerous, Sergeant 1-32 Benavidez jumped from the helicopter into enemy gunsights; even 1-33 before he reached the stranded team's position he had been wounded 1-34 in his right leg, face, and head, yet despite his painful injuries, 1-35 Sergeant Benavidez carried the wounded men to the waiting 1-36 helicopter and provided protective fire to cover the remaining 1-37 crew; and 1-38 WHEREAS, The mission grew more complicated as Sergeant 1-39 Benavidez retrieved classified documents from dead and wounded team 1-40 members, and he worked quickly to secure them despite sustaining 1-41 more severe wounds from gunshots to his abdomen and grenade 1-42 fragments in his back; while attempting takeoff, the pilot was 1-43 mortally wounded and the helicopter crashed; despite the chaos 1-44 around him, Sergeant Benavidez freed those aboard from the 1-45 wreckage and established a defensive perimeter under increasing 1-46 enemy gunfire and grenade attacks; and 1-47 WHEREAS, Acting as medic, directing by radio the fire from 1-48 gunships overhead, and even engaging in hand-to-hand combat with 1-49 the enemy, Sergeant Benavidez bravely weathered a harrowing six 1-50 hours in the field and saved the lives of eight men through his 1-51 leadership and action; he had been clubbed, shot, and bayoneted, 1-52 yet Sergeant Benavidez prevailed, and when his actions were praised 1-53 as awesome and extraordinary, he defined them only as duty; and 1-54 WHEREAS, For his exceptional valor, Sergeant Benavidez was 1-55 awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and in 1981 he was 1-56 presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Ronald 1-57 Reagan; even after his retirement from the military he continued to 1-58 serve his country by devoting his time and energy to veterans 1-59 groups and by visiting schools to speak to youths on critical 1-60 issues such as education, drug use, and gangs; and 1-61 WHEREAS, Though this brave soldier died on November 29, 1998, 1-62 the extremely valorous actions displayed by Master Sergeant Roy P. 1-63 Benavidez in the face of overwhelming odds continue to serve as an 1-64 inspiration; the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor is the highest 2-1 commendation Texans can bestow on members of our state military 2-2 forces, and it is truly fitting that it be awarded to Sergeant 2-3 Benavidez; now, therefore, be it 2-4 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-5 hereby posthumously confer the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor on 2-6 Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez in recognition of his heroic 2-7 service and express to his family our deepest appreciation on 2-8 behalf of all his fellow Texans; and, be it further 2-9 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-10 prepared for the family of Sergeant Benavidez as an expression of 2-11 highest regard by the Texas Legislature. 2-12 * * * * *