Bennie G. Adkins

Bennie G. Adkins

Adkins receiving the Medal of Honor from President Obama
Born (1934-02-01) February 1, 1934
Waurika, Oklahoma
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1956–1978
Rank Command Sergeant Major
Unit 5th Special Forces Group
Battles/wars

Vietnam War

Awards Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Bronze Star Medal (2 with "V" device)
Purple Heart (3)

Bennie G. Adkins (born February 1, 1934) is a retired United States Army soldier and recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for actions in March 1966 during the Vietnam War. From March 9-12, 1966 Adkins distinguished himself during a 38-hour close-combat battle against North Vietnamese Army forces during the Battle of A Shau. At the time of the cited action, Adkins was a sergeant first class serving as an Intelligence Sergeant with Detachment A-102, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces.[1]

Biography

Adkins was born in Waurika, Oklahoma and was drafted in 1956. He was assigned to a garrison unit in Germany, with a follow-on assignment to the 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia. After attending Airborne School, he volunteered for Special Forces in 1961, serving with Special Forces for more than 13 years with the 7th, 3rd, 6th and 5th Special Forces Groups (Airborne).[2] During that time he deployed to the Republic of Vietnam three times between 1963 and 1971.[3] In April 1967, Adkins is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions with Detachment A-102 during his second tour in Vietnam.[4][5] After Vietnam, Adkins was assigned to Fort Huachuca.[6] Graduating in the third-class of the Sergeant Major Academy, Adkins finally retired from the Army in 1978.[5] Before retiring, as a sergeant major he returned to the Special Forces at Fort Bragg, then went to Fort Sherman and led training at its Jungle Operations Training Center.[6] After the Army, Adkins earned a bachelor's and two Master's degrees from Troy State University.[1] Additionally, he ran his own accounting company, and taught classes at Southern Union Junior College and Auburn University.[1]

Medal of Honor awarding

Following 2002, the U.S. Army reviewed all 6.5 thousand recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross to see if any recipients were shortchanged; this led to two-dozen awardings in March 2014.[7] In 2013, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, the Senate Armed Service Committee passed a provision removing the time limit for Donald P. Sloat and Adkins.[8] In August 2014, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Adkins at a ceremony that included the awarding of the Medal of Honor posthumously to Sloat and American Civil War army officer Alonzo Cushing.[9] In September of that same year, Adkins was inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.[10]

Citation

For 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. [11]

Awards and decorations

Adkins has received the following awards:[1]

Bluebird-colored ribbon with five white stars in the form of an "M". Medal of Honor
V
Width-44 scarlet ribbon with width-4 ultramarine blue stripe at center, surrounded by width-1 white stripes. Width-1 white stripes are at the edges.
 Bronze Star Medal with Valor device and bronze Oak leaf cluster
Width-44 purple ribbon with width-4 white stripes on the borders
 Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Width-44 myrtle green ribbon with width-3 white stripes at the edges and five width-1 stripes down the center; the central white stripes are width-2 apart Army Commendation Medal
Army Presidential Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Army Good Conduct Medal with two silver Good Conduct Loops
Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Silver star
Bronze star
 Vietnam Service Medal with one silver and one bronze Campaign star
Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
Vietnam Bravery Medal with one brass star
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with one bronze star
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Master Parachutist Badge with one bronze combat jump star
Special Forces Tab
Vietnam Master Parachutist Badge (awarded twice)
Special Forces (United States Army) Combat Service Identification Badge
Special Forces (United States Army) Distinctive Unit Insignia

CSM Adkins has 7 service stripes, 5 Overseas Service Bars, the Expert Badge with Rifle and Pistol bars, the Sharpshooter Badge with Carbine bar and the Marksmanship Badge with Machinegun bar.

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 ARMY

For 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.[1]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bennie G. Adkins.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins". http://www.army.mil/. United States Army. Retrieved 16 September 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  2. ↑ "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. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Opelika resident Bennie G. Adkins to receive Medal of Honor". WSFA. Montgomery, Alabama. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. 1 2 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.
  6. 1 2 "Local resident to receive Medal of Honor Sept. 15". MCoE Public Affairs. United States Army. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Mulrine, Anna (15 September 2014). "Vietnam War soldiers receive Medal of Honor: Why so late?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ J.D. Leipold (16 September 2014). "Vietnam War Soldiers inducted into Pentagon's Hall of Heroes". United States Army. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  11. ↑ https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/adkins/

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.