SASless
25th Jan 2013, 17:05
Roy Benevidez was an SF Trooper during the Vietnam War....and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Every now and then taking a moment to consider the actions of those we have served with in combat is the right thing to do.
Roy is gone now....died in Hospital in San Antonio, Texas a while back.
He was a humble Man from a humble background.....but remains a Giant amongst his Fellows.
Honor at Last for Roy P - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=RZ7968BbMnU&vq=medium)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oUtJxE4sjs
A very good write up of the battle in the book MACV-SOG
by Major John Plaster.
What he did was amazing.
Lonewolf_50
25th Jan 2013, 17:42
I suspect this man set off metal detectors at airports for a number of years. He sure had a lot of hot metal in him.
A fine example of the good folks from Cuero, Texas.
Vaya con Dios, Master Sergeant Benevidez.
SASless
25th Jan 2013, 19:01
The others involved in that fight deserve admiration too.....several Aircrew were killed or wounded in their efforts to get the guys on the ground to safety.
This link pertains to the Helicopter Pilot, Crew Chief and Door Gunner that were killed while attempting to extract the surrounded SF Troops and their Nung Troopers.
TogetherWeServed - WO1 Larry Sims Mc Kibben (http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=AssignmentExt&ID=493952)
Special Forces Team B-56 was formed to conduct Project Sigma Operations into Cambodia and were supported by the 240th Aviation Company based at Bear Cat northeast of Saigon.
SFD B-56 Project Sigma:
SFOD B-56 Project Sigma was formed in August 1966 and was very similar in make up and operational procedure to B-50 project Omega. Like Omega, Sigma was also created for the purpose of providing reconnaissance in area's controlled by the VC. Again as with SFOD B-50 Omega, Sigma was also to have had an ARVN Ranger battalion attached to it, but this idea was vetoed by SF and they supplied their own forces.
Located at camp Ho Ngoc Tao near Tu Duc, along highway 1 between Saigon and Long Binh. SFOD B-56 Project Sigma had 8 reconnaissance teams, 3 commando (reaction) companies and a 168-man Nung security company. The personnel for the commando companies, and reconnaissance teams were either ethnic Cambodians or Nung mercenaries.
SFOD B-56 Project Sigma teams abducted POWs back from the enemy in the Fish Hook area of war zone C. An enemy telephone line was located, tapped, and conversations recorded. Other teams placed electronic surveillance devices, set mechanical ambushes, and a host of electronic devices to hinder and harass the enemy along infiltration routes into South Vietnam.
SFOD B-56 Project Sigma's Road Runner Teams were transferred over to SFOD B-57 project Gamma in 1967. SFOD B-56 Project Sigma also assisted and acted as forward reconnaissance elements in several Black Jack operations which were conducted in its area of operations. In November 1967 operational control of SFOD B-56 was given directly to MACV whereupon B-56 was placed under the control of the II Field Force.
SFOD B-56 Project Sigma was relocated to Ban Me Thuot in 1969. Finally leaving(?!) Vietnam on the 2nd of May 1971.
Additional information on the fight that day.....
The Recon Team Leader (Wright) was wounded by gun fire, then rolled over onto an enemy grenade to protect his Team Mates....and was finally killed by a Gun Shot.
Detachment B-52, 5th SF Group, also known as "Project Delta" was located at Nha Trang but was tasked with providing special-area and cross-border patrols throughout much of South Vietnam. On 02 May 1968 Det B-52 lost two men:
SFC Leroy N. Wright, Newark, NJ (Dist Svc Cross)
SSG Lloyd F. Mousseau, Cudahy, CA (Dist Svc Cross)
While the casualty database indicates both died within Military Region 2, South Vietnam, several privately operated Internet sites indicate their patrol unit actually was operating across the border in Cambodia in the "Fishhook" area. The Valor Remembered Foundation site has two linked pages regarding the incident in which SFC Wright's team was assaulted by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops.
In summation, SFC Wright led a team composed of three Americans, two ARVN officers, and seven CIDG troops. The team was inserted by helicopter into an area thoroughly controlled by the NVA. Shortly after insertion, the team encountered two NVA troops and killed both - but not before one of the NVA got off a shot, thereby warning his comrades. Wright's team continued, but then encountered and in a brief but noisy fight killed (without injury to themselves) a 12-man NVA patrol. An emergency extraction was initiated, but the extraction helicopters (from the 240th AHC) came under fire about five miles before reaching the pick-up zone and themselves suffered losses. At this point, SFC Wright was severely wounded; he then rolled onto a hand grenade in order to protect his troops and was further injured when it exploded; and finally was killed by gunshot. SSG Mousseau, the second in command and himself badly wounded, took command. A 5th SF Group relief team led by Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez was introduced in a second emergency extraction effort, during which three crewmen from the 240th AHC were killed: