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Texas Senate Bill SR143

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR143 Compare Versions

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1-SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 143
2- In Memory
3- of
4- Roy Benavidez
5- WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the
6- citizens of Texas in remembering the life and legacy of Medal of
7- Honor recipient Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and the loaning
8- of his Medal of Honor to the new National Medal of Honor Museum in
1+89R14999 JRI-F
2+ By: Huffman S.R. No. 143
3+
4+
5+
6+
7+ R E S O L U T I O N
8+ WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the citizens
9+ of Texas in remembering the life and legacy of Medal of Honor
10+ recipient Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and the loaning of his
11+ Medal of Honor to the new National Medal of Honor Museum in
912 Arlington; and
10- WHEREAS, A native Texan, Master Sergeant Benavidez was
11- born on August 5, 1935, in Lindenau, the son of a sharecropper;
12- orphaned at an early age and raised by relatives, he dropped out
13- of school at the age of 14 to work in the fields before enlisting
14- in the U.S. Army in June 1955; and
13+ WHEREAS, A native Texan, Master Sergeant Benavidez was born
14+ on August 5, 1935, in Lindenau, the son of a sharecropper; orphaned
15+ at an early age and raised by relatives, he dropped out of school at
16+ the age of 14 to work in the fields before enlisting in the U.S. Army
17+ in June 1955; and
1518 WHEREAS, While on his first tour of duty in Vietnam, this
1619 admirable soldier was injured by a land mine, and though doctors
1720 feared he might never walk again, Master Sergeant Benavidez
1821 recovered fully and returned to Vietnam with the Green Berets, an
1922 elite Special Forces unit; and
2023 WHEREAS, On the morning of May 2, 1968, while assigned to the
21- Loc Ninh base in South Vietnam, then-Sergeant Benavidez learned that
22- 12 members of a Special Forces reconnaissance team were surrounded by
23- enemy troops inside Cambodia and under heavy fire; this heroic Texan
24- courageously volunteered for the evacuation mission to aid in the
25- rescue of his fellow soldiers; and
24+ Loc Ninh base in South Vietnam, then-Sergeant Benavidez learned
25+ that 12 members of a Special Forces reconnaissance team were
26+ surrounded by enemy troops inside Cambodia and under heavy fire;
27+ this heroic Texan courageously volunteered for the evacuation
28+ mission to aid in the rescue of his fellow soldiers; and
2629 WHEREAS, Though intense small-arms and antiaircraft fire
2730 made the rescue operation tremendously dangerous, Sergeant
2831 Benavidez jumped from the helicopter into enemy gunsights; even
29- before he reached the stranded team's position, he had been
30- wounded in his right leg, face, and head, yet despite his painful
31- injuries, Sergeant Benavidez carried the wounded men to the
32- waiting helicopter and provided protective fire to cover the
33- remaining crew; and
32+ before he reached the stranded team's position, he had been wounded
33+ in his right leg, face, and head, yet despite his painful injuries,
34+ Sergeant Benavidez carried the wounded men to the waiting
35+ helicopter and provided protective fire to cover the remaining
36+ crew; and
3437 WHEREAS, The mission grew more complicated as Sergeant
35- Benavidez retrieved classified documents from dead and wounded
36- team members, and he worked quickly to secure them despite
37- sustaining more severe wounds from gunshots to his abdomen and
38- grenade fragments in his back; while attempting takeoff, the
39- pilot was mortally wounded, and the helicopter crashed; despite
40- the chaos around him, Sergeant Benavidez freed those aboard from
41- the wreckage and established a defensive perimeter under
42- increasing enemy gunfire and grenade attacks; and
43- WHEREAS, Acting as a medic, directing by radio the fire
44- from gunships overhead, and even engaging in hand-to-hand combat
45- with the enemy, Sergeant Benavidez bravely weathered a harrowing
46- six hours in hell and saved the lives of eight men through his
38+ Benavidez retrieved classified documents from dead and wounded team
39+ members, and he worked quickly to secure them despite sustaining
40+ more severe wounds from gunshots to his abdomen and grenade
41+ fragments in his back; while attempting takeoff, the pilot was
42+ mortally wounded, and the helicopter crashed; despite the chaos
43+ around him, Sergeant Benavidez freed those aboard from the wreckage
44+ and established a defensive perimeter under increasing enemy
45+ gunfire and grenade attacks; and
46+ WHEREAS, Acting as a medic, directing by radio the fire from
47+ gunships overhead, and even engaging in hand-to-hand combat with
48+ the enemy, Sergeant Benavidez bravely weathered a harrowing six
49+ hours in hell and saved the lives of eight men through his
4750 leadership and action; he had been clubbed, shot, and bayoneted,
48- yet Sergeant Benavidez prevailed, and when his actions were
49- praised as awesome and extraordinary, he defined them only as
50- duty; and
51+ yet Sergeant Benavidez prevailed, and when his actions were praised
52+ as awesome and extraordinary, he defined them only as duty; and
5153 WHEREAS, For his exceptional valor, Sergeant Benavidez was
52- awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; then on February 24,
53- 1981, 44 years ago, Master Sergeant (Ret.) Roy P. Benavidez was
54- presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor by President
55- Ronald Reagan; and
54+ awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; then on February 24, 1981,
55+ 44 years ago today, Master Sergeant (Ret.) Roy P. Benavidez was
56+ presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Ronald
57+ Reagan; and
5658 WHEREAS, Even after his retirement from the military, he
5759 continued to serve his country by devoting his time and energy to
5860 veterans groups and by visiting schools to speak to youths on
5961 critical issues such as courage, commitment, education, faith,
6062 patriotism, and staying away from drug use and gangs; and
61- WHEREAS, Though this brave soldier died on November 29,
62- 1998, his widow Hilaria "Lala" Coy Benavidez and their three
63- children, son Noel and daughters Yvette and Denise, have carried
64- on Master Sergeant Benavidez's legacy by remaining active in
65- their community with various civic organizations and
66- volunteering their time with the Boy Scouts of America, which
67- paved the way for six of Master Sergeant Benavidez's grandsons to
68- earn the rank of Eagle Scout; and
69- WHEREAS, On February 6, 2011, the late Hilaria "Lala"
70- Coy Benavidez generously loaned her husband's Medal of Honor
71- to the Ronald Regan Presidential Library in Simi Valley,
72- California, where it was on display for tens of thousands of
73- museum visitors to see and learn about the life and legacy of
74- Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez; and
75- WHEREAS, On January 3, 2025, the children of Master
76- Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez traveled to the Ronald Reagan
77- Presidential Library to take part in a handoff ceremony, which
78- consisted of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library handing over
79- Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez's Medal of Honor to his three
80- children so that it can return home to Texas; and
63+ WHEREAS, Though this brave soldier died on November 29, 1998,
64+ his widow Hilaria "Lala" Coy Benavidez and their three children,
65+ son Noel and daughters Yvette and Denise, have carried on Master
66+ Sergeant Benavidez's legacy by remaining active in their community
67+ with various civic organizations and volunteering their time with
68+ the Boy Scouts of America, which paved the way for six of Master
69+ Sergeant Benavidez's grandsons to earn the rank of Eagle Scout; and
70+ WHEREAS, On February 6, 2011, the late Hilaria "Lala" Coy
71+ Benavidez generously loaned her husband's Medal of Honor to the
72+ Ronald Regan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, where
73+ it was on display for tens of thousands of museum visitors to see
74+ and learn about the life and legacy of Master Sergeant Roy P.
75+ Benavidez; and
76+ WHEREAS, On January 3, 2025, the children of Master Sergeant
77+ Roy P. Benavidez traveled to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
78+ to take part in a handoff ceremony, which consisted of the Ronald
79+ Reagan Presidential Library handing over Master Sergeant Roy
80+ P. Benavidez's Medal of Honor to his three children so that it can
81+ return home to Texas; and
8182 WHEREAS, The children of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez
8283 have generously loaned their father's Medal of Honor to the new
83- National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, where it will be one
84- of several Medals of Honor from living and deceased recipients
85- that have been either donated or loaned to the new museum and will
86- be on display for the public to see; and
84+ National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, where it will be one of
85+ several Medals of Honor from living and deceased recipients that
86+ have been either donated or loaned to the new museum and will be on
87+ display for the public to see; and
8788 WHEREAS, A deserving recipient of the highest and most
8889 prestigious military decoration of valor, Roy Benavidez
89- demonstrated extraordinary courage in the line of duty, and he
90- will forever be remembered with great admiration; now,
91- therefore, be it
92- RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
93- Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life and legacy of Master
94- Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and extend to his family sincere
95- appreciation for their generosity in sharing his inspiring story
96- with others; and, be it further
90+ demonstrated extraordinary courage in the line of duty, and he will
91+ forever be remembered with great admiration; now, therefore, be it
92+ RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
93+ hereby pay tribute to the life and legacy of Master Sergeant Roy
94+ P. Benavidez and extend to his family sincere appreciation for
95+ their generosity in sharing his inspiring story with others; and,
96+ be it further
9797 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
98- prepared for his family as an expression of deepest gratitude
99- from the Texas Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day,
100- it do so in memory of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and his
101- wife Lala.
102- Huffman
103- ________________________________
104- President of the Senate
105- I hereby certify that the
106- above Resolution was adopted by
107- the Senate on February 26, 2025,
108- by a rising vote.
109- ________________________________
110- Secretary of the Senate
111- ________________________________
112- Member, Texas Senate
98+ prepared for his family as an expression of deepest gratitude from
99+ the Texas Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do
100+ so in memory of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez and his wife Lala.