Vietnam Vets Receive Medal of Honor

Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins received the Medal of Honor from President Obama in a Sept. 12 White House ceremony, for heroism he displayed during a March 9, 1966, firefight in Vietnam’s A Shau Valley. According to official records, Adkins and his unit of Green Berets were on a mission to thwart the steady stream of enemy fighters and supplies into South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Three divisions — two North Vietnamese and one Viet Cong – launched a heavy mortar attack on their camp in the early morning before attacking. Adkins was wounded by mortar fire, but braved it anyway to drag wounded comrades to safety. He also refused evacuation on the first three medevac helicopters that came to extract wounded Americans. As the fight continued, Adkins and his comrades began to run out of ammunition and supplies and were preparing for hand-to-hand combat. Though friendly aircraft managed to drop off some ammo in time, it landed outside their perimeter. Adkins again exposed himself to enemy fire, to retrieve the ammo. He also moved to protect a pilot of an A-1 Skyraider that was shot down, along with another comrade, was wounded again. He and his comrades were ordered to evacuate their position, but fought their way to a point where they could be extracted safely anyway – carrying their wounded friends in the process. A helicopter finally rescued them on March 12. A day earlier, President Obama presented the survivors of Army Spec 4 Donald P. Sloat with the Medal of Honor, for heroism he displayed in Vietnam. Sloat was an M60 machine gunner with 3rd Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, at the time. He died during combat operations on Jan. 17, while supporting tanks and armored personnel carriers in the Que Son valley. At one point, a soldier tripped over a wire planted by the enemy, causing a grenade to roll into their path. Sloat jumped on the grenade, bore the brunt of its blast, and saved his comrades at the cost of his own life.