Bennie G. Adkins
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Bennie G. Adkins | |
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5th Special Forces Group | |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War
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Awards | Medal of Honor Bronze Star Medal (2) with "V" device Purple Heart (3) |
Bennie Gene Adkins
Biography
Adkins was born in
After the Army, Adkins earned a
In March 2020, Adkins was hospitalized with COVID-19. He was admitted to the intensive care unit and put on a ventilator after experiencing respiratory failure.[9] He died from complications of the virus on April 17, 2020, at the age of 86.[10] Adkins was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on December 16, 2020.[11]
Medal of Honor award
From 2002, the U.S. Army reviewed all 6,500 recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross to see if any recipients had actually performed actions worthy of the Medal of Honor; this led to two dozen medal upgrades in March 2014.
Awards and decorations
Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS
BENNIE G. ADKINS
UNITED STATES ARMYFor conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Sergeant First Class Bennie G. Adkins distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Intelligence Sergeant with Detachment A-102, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Camp A Shau, Republic of Vietnam from March 9 to 12, 1966. When the camp was attacked by a large North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in the early morning hours, Sergeant First Class Adkins rushed through intense enemy fire and manned a mortar position continually adjusting fire for the camp, despite incurring wounds as the mortar pit received several direct hits from enemy mortars. Upon learning that several soldiers were wounded near the center of camp, he temporarily turned the mortar over to another soldier, ran through exploding mortar rounds and dragged several comrades to safety. As the hostile fire subsided, Sergeant First Class Adkins exposed himself to sporadic sniper fire while carrying his wounded comrades to the camp dispensary. When Sergeant First Class Adkins and his group of defenders came under heavy small arms fire from members of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group that had defected to fight with the North Vietnamese, he maneuvered outside the camp to evacuate a seriously wounded American and draw fire all the while successfully covering the rescue. When a resupply air drop landed outside of the camp perimeter, Sergeant First Class Adkins, again, moved outside of the camp walls to retrieve the much needed supplies. During the early morning hours of March 10, 1966 enemy forces launched their main attack and within two hours, Sergeant First Class Adkins was the only man firing a mortar weapon. When all mortar rounds were expended, Sergeant First Class Adkins began placing effective recoilless rifle fire upon enemy positions. Despite receiving additional wounds from enemy rounds exploding on his position, Sergeant First Class Adkins fought off intense waves of attacking Viet Cong. Sergeant First Class Adkins eliminated numerous insurgents with small arms fire after withdrawing to a communications bunker with several soldiers. Running extremely low on ammunition, he returned to the mortar pit, gathered vital ammunition and ran through intense fire back to the bunker. After being ordered to evacuate the camp, Sergeant First Class Adkins and a small group of soldiers destroyed all signal equipment and classified documents, dug their way out of the rear of the bunker and fought their way out of the camp. While carrying a wounded soldier to the extraction point he learned that the last helicopter had already departed. Sergeant First Class Adkins led the group while evading the enemy until they were rescued by helicopter on March 12, 1966. During the thirty-eight-hour battle and forty-eight hours of escape and evasion, fighting with mortars, machine guns, recoilless rifles, small arms, and hand grenades, it was estimated that Sergeant First Class Adkins killed between one hundred thirty five and one hundred seventy five of the enemy while sustaining eighteen different wounds to his body. Sergeant First Class Adkins' extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Detachment A-102, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces and the United States Army.[3]
Commendations
Adkins received the following awards:[3]
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See also
References
- ^ Brandon Moseley (December 18, 2020). "Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins laid to rest at Arlington". alreporter.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ [1] A Tiger among Us: A Story of Valor in Vietnam's A Shau Valley
- ^ a b c d e "Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins". Army.mil Features. United States Army. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment" (PDF). U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. United States Army Special Operations Command. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ "Opelika resident Bennie G. Adkins to receive Medal of Honor". WSFA. Montgomery, Alabama. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (17 September 2014). "Alwyn Cashe, the Medal of Honor, and how heroism gets undervalued". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
Keith, Tamara (15 September 2014). "Medals Of Honor Recognize Harrowing Battle And A Dying Act". NPR. Retrieved 1 March 2015. - ^ a b Brooks, Drew (27 August 2014). "Vietnam vet with Fort Bragg ties among 3 to receive Medal of Honor". Fayetteville Observer. North Carolina. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Local resident to receive Medal of Honor Sept. 15". MCoE Public Affairs. United States Army. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Correll, Diana Stancy (March 27, 2020). "Beloved Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins critically ill and hospitalized with COVID-19". Military Times. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ Gearty, Robert (18 April 2020). "Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins loses battle with coronavirus at 86". Foxnews. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ Richard Sisk (October 22, 2020). "Medal of Honor Recipient Bennie Adkins to Be Buried at Arlington". military.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ Mulrine, Anna (15 September 2014). "Vietnam War soldiers receive Medal of Honor: Why so late?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Sisk, Richard (12 December 2013). "Senate Backs MoHs for Two Vietnam Soldiers". Military.com. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
"H.R. 3304 (113th): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014". GovTrack. Civic Impulse, LLC. 26 December 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2015. - ^ Hlad, Jennifer (26 August 2014). "Obama to award 3 Medals of Honor, including 1 to Civil War soldier". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ J.D. Leipold (16 September 2014). "Vietnam War Soldiers inducted into Pentagon's Hall of Heroes". United States Army. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
External links
- Troyan, Mary (15 September 2014). "Opelika man awarded Medal of Honor". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- Vergun, David. "President awards Medals of Honor to 2 Vietnam veterans". United States Army. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- Medal recipient killed up to 175 enemy troops, September 15, 2014, Brad Lendon, CNN