Posted on 01/12/2004 7:07:21 PM PST by Come And Take It
EL CAMPO - Of all the honors bestowed upon U.S. Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez of El Campo, his children said the naming of a U.S. Navy supply ship after him is by far the most appropriate and the one that would have given their father the most satisfaction.
Currently on its maiden voyage, the USNS Benavidez is carrying supplies to Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. It sailed from the port of Beaumont on Dec. 17 carrying 13,574 tons of equipment and supplies, including tanks and Humvees.
"It is ironic, I guess, that the U.S. Navy would be honoring a career Army veteran," said his daughter, Yvette Garcia. "But when you see the grand vessel it is and the name 'Benavidez' on it, things come full circle. We are very proud of our father and this is just one more of those honors. And because it will be shipping goods that are needed by soldiers, I think this is the one honor that he would have been truly pleased with."
Son Noel Benavidez said at first he was hoping for a combat ship to carry his father's name, "something with a lot of guns." But after thinking about how the ship would be used, he altered his opinion as well.
"We are honored and proud that it was built and named for him," he said. "We first heard about it in 2000. Then after what happened on 9/11, the family hoped it would be ready to go. So we are overwhelmed that it is being deployed to help the troops in Iraq."
The USNS Benavidez is the last of seven large medium roll-on, roll-off ships of the Bob Hope Class built for the military by Litton-Avondale Industries in New Orleans. With a hydraulic gangplank built into the ship, military vehicles, including tanks, can actually be driven on and off the vessel, which measures 950 feet long and 106 feet wide.
"It was purpose-built," said John Roby, the director of logistics and public relations for the Port of Beaumont. "It uses some innovative designs, the big one being that everything can be driven on and off, so loading goes faster and there is less wear and tear on the vehicles. In addition, because the cargo hold is ventilated, fuel can be left in the vehicles and the batteries stay hooked up so they can be driven right off the ship when they arrive. During the early stages of the war, that was an important aspect."
As one of the largest classes of transport ships in the world, 1,386 individual pieces of cargo were loaded on the Benavidez for its first voyage.
"Actually, it includes everything from soup to nuts for a military division," Roby said. "Artillery, M-1/A-1 tanks, lots of Humvees, trucks and equipment containers. The one thing it doesn't have is ammunition and explosives. Those are handled separately as a safety issue."
Because it was purpose-designed, the military also has a specific plan for loading an LSMR. It takes between three and four days for the loading process to be completed. The loading plan is carried out under the direction of the Army's 842nd Transportation Battalion, which is based in Beaumont.
And while they take the loading of each ship seriously, Roby said there was a special feeling about preparing the Benavidez for its first trip.
"We were aware of the fact that Sgt. Benavidez was from Texas, and we know his story here," he said. "It is something we don't encounter very often. We're loading ships all the time and know that the names on the ships are important but don't really recognize them. So when we have one we do recognize and it had a Texas connection, we take extra pride in the work being done."
And that work has been doubling in recent months as units assigned to the Gulf region are starting to rotate back to the states.
"We're proud to be able to say that 24 percent of the total cargo shipped to Operation Iraqi Freedom has gone through the Port of Beaumont," Roby said. "We've moved more materials through this port than any other in the U.S., and now we've got some of those materials coming home. Each division has its own equipment, and it follows them. When they are sent overseas, it is shipped to them, and when they return, we bring it back."
The ship is not the first thing named in honor of Benavidez, who won the Medal of Honor for saving eight wounded soldiers even though he, too, was injured during a battle in Vietnam.
There are also elementary schools in San Antonio and Houston, a city park in Colorado Springs, Colo., and even a GI Joe action figure named after him. The action figure has since become a serious collectable.
"When I was growing up, I had Star Wars figures instead of GI Joes," Noel said. "But it was exciting to have one named for Dad. It was the only one that has been done for a Hispanic, which we take great pride in."
Yvette added, "Having a Navy vessel named for him was an amazing thing. It fits the kind of person he was. He would have probably laughed at the GI Joe."
Sgt. Benavidez received the award for his actions on May 2, 1968, during a mission to extract a Special Forces reconnaissance team that was under attack by forces from the North Vietnamese Army. When it was determined that the rescue helicopters could not land, Benavidez jumped to the ground and offered medical assistance and fire support, allowing eight of the team do be rescued. During the battle, he was wounded several times.
Immediately following his actions, Benavidez was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Benavidez retired from the Army as a master sergeant in 1975 and returned to his childhood home of El Campo. After several years, the true nature of his efforts was recognized and President Ronald Reagan presented him the Medal of Honor in 1981. He died in 1998.
"He never really talked much about the war or what happened that day," Denise Prochazka said. "But after he received the medal, we would hear him speak so we got the message."
Noel added, "He was reluctant, so it was not something that was brought up every day. I've actually gotten a lot of the information from the helicopter pilots that were involved. I think that their story added a lot because he was on the ground and they were in the air and had a different perspective. They could see more of the entire situation."
Benavidez's children said he tended to downplay his role in the incident during his life. "Father never wanted to take the credit," Yvette said. "He wanted the others to be recognized, in particular those that didn't make it back."
In addition to those other reminders, Benavidez's immediate family has also established a foundation named for their father. The foundation presents two graduating seniors from El Campo High School with a $250 scholarship each year. But the eventual goal of the foundation is much more.
"We would like to be able to sponsor after-school programs across the country that will focus on good academics, staying away from drugs and alcohol and avoiding gangs," son Noel said. "He always emphasized education. He didn't have the opportunity to go to college as a young man and so he went into the military. But he knew that education was going to be the key to success for the future."
His daughter Yvette added the idea for the foundation came from her father and the attention it brought him.
"Immediately after he received the medal, every time he turned around someone was asking for him as a speaker," she said. "President Reagan wanted him to help spread the message for students to stay off drugs and stay in school. He said that after a year people would begin to forget and things would go back to normal. Well, ever since then he's not been forgotten and will never be forgotten. He has become an American icon. Each of the scholarship recipients are given a copy of his Medal of Honor citation and a photo of him, so they know the legacy they have to live up to, and will pass that along. No, he is never going to be forgotten."
The USNS Benavidez arrives in
port at the Port of Beaumont with
the help of a harbor tugboat in
mid-December to prepare for its
maiden voyage. The ship, named
after the late U.S. Medal of Honor
recipient Master Sgt. Roy
Benavidez, was loaded with
supplies including tanks and
Humvees before heading for Iraq.
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