Hero – Roy Benavidez

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As the medevac chopper landed the wounded were examined one by one. Staff Sergeant Benavidez could only hear what was going on around him. He had over thirty seven puncture wounds. His intestines were exposed. He could not see as his eyes were caked in blood and unable to open. Neither could he speak, his jaw broken, clubbed by a North Vietnamese rifle. But he knew what was happening, and it was the scariest moment of his life, even more so than the earlier events of the day. He lay in a body bag, bathed in his own blood. Jerry Cottingham, a friend screamed “That’s Benavidez. Get a doc”. When the doctor arrived he placed his hand on Roy’s chest to feel for a heartbeat. He pronounced him dead. The physician shook his head. ”There’s nothing I can do for him.” As the doctor bent over to zip up the body bag. Benavidez did the only thing he could think of to let the doctor know that he was alive. He spit in the doctor’s face. The surprised doctor reversed Roy’s condition from dead to ”He won’t make it, but we’ll try”.

Roy Benavidez fought his whole life.  His father died when he was three years old from tuberculosis.  His mother remarried, but she too was taken by the disease when he was only eight.  He moved to El Campo, Texas to be raised by grandparents and extended family.  He worked at the bus station shining shoes, and worked on local farms.  At 15, he dropped out of school to work full time supporting his family.

He enlisted in the Texas National Guard in 1952, then in the regular Army in 1955.  He completed airborne training and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in 1959, the same year he married his wife Hilaria.  In 1965, he was sent to South Vietnam as an advisor to an ARVN infantry unit.  During his tour, he was grievously wounded when he stepped on a landmine.  Doctors feared he would never walk again.  Not only did he walk out of the hospital the next year, he graduated from Special Forces training and was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group.  He returned to Vietnam in January of 1968 as a member of Detachment B-56.

The 2nd of May 1968 started like most days.  A 12-man reconnaissance team was inserted into an area controlled by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).  The team confirmed large enemy activity in the area shortly after insertion.  Within a  short time, the team made contact with a battalion-sized NVA element (approximately 300 men).  Staff Sergeant Benavidez was monitoring the radio in the Forward Operating Base.  He listened intently as the team requested an emergency extraction.  The rescue helicopters were able to locate the team, but unable to extract them.  The NVA battalion fired furiously at the helicopters.  The enemy knew this was their chance to finally kill members of the highly elite Studies and Observation Group (SOG).

When the damaged helicopters returned to the Forward Operating Base, SSG Benavidez voluntarily boarded an aircraft for a second attempt at extracting the beleaguered Special Forces team.  Once in the area, he realized that the team would not be able to move on their own to the helicopters.  He instructed the pilot to land 75 meters from the team then jumped to the ground to assist the team.  While enroute, he was shot in the leg and received additional wounds to the head and face.

He prepared the team for movement while notifying the helicopters for immediate extraction.  SSG Benavidez then carried over half the wounded team to the waiting aircraft.  He made a final trip to recover classified documents from the deceased team leader, and was wounded in the back from an enemy hand grenade.  Before he could return to the aircraft, the pilot was mortally wounded and the helicopter crashed.

He raced back to the wreckage to organize the survivors into a defensive perimeter.  He directed the fire of the team, while calling in close air support danger close.  He called for another extraction before being shot again in the thigh.  Despite heavy loss of blood, he carried a fellow soldier to the arriving aircraft.  On the way, he was attacked and clubbed in the face by an enemy soldier’s bayonet.  SSG Benavidez fought with the soldier before killing him with his knife despite receiving multiple bayonet wounds.

On the way to the Forward Operating Base, SSG Benavidez was pronounced killed in action, though he would survive his injuries.  In all, he suffered 37 bullet, fragmentation and bayonet wounds.  He spent the next several years recovering from his wounds.  He was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, but it was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1981.

Roy Benavidez died in his home state of Texas on November 29th, 1998.  This country’s proud military history was written by men like Roy Benavidez.

He truly is a Hero, a Stud, a Gunfighter, and a Champion.

Hero – Tim McCarthy

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It was a wet Spring morning in Washington, D.C. Tim McCarthy of the US Secret Service had the day off. At the last moment, a request came down for an additional agent to help protect newly-elected President Ronald Reagan. Special Agent McCarthy and a co-worker flipped a coin to see who’s day off would be ruined. Tim McCarthy lost.

And so on Monday, March 30th, 1981 Tim McCarthy would accompany President Reagan to a speech he was giving at the Hilton Hotel just across town in DC. The Secret Service decided to forego the presidential body armor, the “Iron Underwear,” because the President would only be exposed for 30 feet between the car and the building.

The speech was uneventful, and the crowd only managed to generate polite applause for the new President. He’d only been in office 69 days, and the Union Leaders of the AFL-CIO weren’t sure how the conservative Reagan would support their cause.

Unbeknownst to President Reagan or the Secret Service, a disturbed young man named John Hinckley Jr. had infiltrated the press line with a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Hinckley was convinced that if he generated enough spectacle out of killing President Reagan, the love of his life actress Jodie Foster would understand how he felt about her.

Hinckley had previously attempted to assassinate President Jimmy Carter, Reagan’s predecessor. President Carter had changed his schedule at the last minute during the campaign, and Hinckley never got his chance.

As President Reagan approached the big black limousine, Hinckley fired his pistol rapidly triggering six shots in three seconds. As soon as the shooting started, the Secret Service executed their precise drill to protect the President. Jerry Parr threw Reagan bodily into the vehicle and lay on top of him to protect him from the incoming fire. Tim McCarthy, seeing the shooter, stepped between the pistol and the president and spread his arms and legs as wide as possible to shield Reagan as he was being evacuated.

Tim Mccarthy was shot in the chest for his heroism.  There were many heroes that day.  Both the Secret Service and the Washington D.C. Police performed well  in the conduct of their duties.  The President’s Secretary, James Brady was badly hurt, along with officer Thomas Delahanty.  President Reagan was also wounded by a ricochet.

It is awe-inspiring to watch a trained and capable professional execute his duties when everything is on the line.  I’ve seen it a few times in my life, and it always renews my sense of respect for the American fighting man.  Tim McCarthy knew that he couldn’t possibly draw his weapon in time to stop Hinckley.  He used the only weapon left to him.  He not only displayed his exceptional courage to Hinckley, but to the entire world.  What men are these of the United States Secret Service!

Tim McCarthy is a Hero, Stud, Gunfighter, and a Champion.

If you have a nominee for a hero, send the details to info@Jedburgh-USA.com.

Hero – Ed Mireles

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Metallica – Hero of the Day (In order to experience the full, multi-media experience you should listen to the music while you read).

The Miami Shootout of April 11, 1986 had a far-reaching impact on law enforcement.  I’m not going to describe the event in blow-by-blow, dramatic prose.  I’m not even going to talk about revolvers, or 9mm ammo (or 10mm  ammo), or inter-agency coordination.  If you want to dig in to the story of the Miami Shootout, you can download the FBI report here – Miami Shootout (249).  There are other excellent resources (and some that are not-so-excellent).  But if you want to take a serious look, start with the FBI’s report.

I only want to talk about one man from a group of incredibly brave men.  His name is Edmundo Mireles Jr. and his heroic actions during the ferocious firefight undoubtedly saved lives.

The summary of the situation is that six FBI Special Agents were attempting to affect the arrest of two suspected bank robbers.  The Special Agents (SAs) traveled in several vehicles while both suspects traveled in the same vehicle.  In the opening seconds of the ensuing car crash and gunfight, numerous rounds were fired from both sides with at least one SA wounded.  SA Mireles and his partner SA Hanlon moved from their vehicle across the street in order to assist.  SA Mireles was immediately shot in the left forearm by one the suspects.  SA Mireles was dazed and/or unconscious for the next several moments.  In redneck-speak, “he got his chickens scattered.”

When he regained his faculties, he realized that three of his fellow SAs were down  and the suspects were attempting to steal an FBI sedan and run over SA Hanlon who was lying grievously wounded behind the rear tire.  With his ruined left arm hanging at his side, SA Mireles forced himself to a sitting position and balanced his shotgun on the rear bumper of the car he was using for cover and engaged the suspects.  After each shot, SA Mireles would carefully lower the shotgun between his legs and work the action with his one good arm.  He fired until the shotgun was empty.

SA Mireles was determined to end the violent battle.  He staggered to his feet and advanced toward the suspects.  He drew his service revolver from his belt as one of the suspects engaged him with pistol fire.  He fired all six of his rounds, scoring five hits.  Both suspects were killed at the scene.

On an otherwise routine day conducting routine law enforcement work, these men from the FBI fought for their lives against determined attackers.  In broad daylight in a neighborhood in South Florida, SA Mireles faced the Beast.

Ed Mireles is a Hero, Stud, Gunfighter, and a Champion.  May we all acquit ourselves so well.

Heroes, Studs, Gunfighters & Champions

We spend a lot of time analyzing statistics and reviewing after-action reports and lessons learned.  It can be easy to only look for mistakes.  To find things to criticize, whether it be during preparation or execution, can be academically valuable as we pursue perfection in training.

But I’ve had people review my situation reports, planning, or actions on the objective.  From the perspective of the review-ee and not the review-er, it didn’t feel “academically valuable” it just felt like Monday-morning quarterback syndrome.  To make it absolutely clear, I thought it was chickenshit.

In order to avoid having to give myself that title, I’m going to devote some time to identifying and recognizing the Heroes, Studs, Gunfighters, & Champions of the professional military and law enforcement communities.

If you have a nominee, shoot me an email with the particulars and I’ll do some research, or write it up yourself and I’ll post it here.