Bennie Gene Adkins was a soldier in the U.S. Army, who received the Medal of Honor for his action in the Vietnam War. He was serving as a sergeant first class at the time of his Medal of Honor action, which took place in 1966.
SFC Bennie Gene Adkins Background
Adkins was a native of Waurika, Oklahoma. After entering the military in 1956, he PCS’d to a garrison unit in Germany. He later went on to serve with the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia. There, he attended Airborne School and volunteered for Special Forces in 1961. Adkins served with the 7th, 3rd, 6th, and 5th Special Forces Groups (Airborne) for over 13 years and deployed to Vietnam three times between 1963 and 1971.
During his second tour in Vietnam, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions with Detachment A-102 in April 1967. Following his service in Vietnam, Adkins attended the Sergeant Major Academy and returned to the Special Forces at Fort Bragg before leading training at the Jungle Operations Training Center at Fort Sherman.
After retiring from the Army in 1978, Adkins earned several degrees and taught at Southern Union Junior College and Auburn University. In 2014, President Barack Obama presented Adkins with the Medal of Honor in recognition for his actions during a 1966 battle in Vietnam. It was during this battle he saved numerous American lives while under constant enemy fire.
Medal of Honor Action Citation (Congressional Medal of Honor Society)
ergeant 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 38-hour battle and 48 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 had killed between 135 and 175 of the enemy while sustaining 18 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.
Valor award
Bennie Gene Adkins lived a remarkable life of service and dedication to his country. He served with distinction in the U.S. Army for more than two decades, including three tours of duty in Vietnam as a member of the Special Forces. His heroism and bravery in combat earned him numerous commendations, including the Distinguished Service Cross.
In 2014, he was presented with the Medal of Honor during a special ceremony at the White House. Adkins continued to make a positive impact on his community even after leaving the military, through his work as an accountant and as a teacher at local colleges.
Adkins passed away from complications of COVID-19 on April 17, 2020, at the age of 86. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
How to support the Medal of Honor mission
- Learn more about the Congressional Medal of Honor Society at cmohs.org or find them on Instagram |Facebook
- Participate in Medal of Honor Day on March 25 by sharing a recipient’s story
- Support veteran hiring and transition programs in your workplace
- Teach younger generations about the values of courage, sacrifice, and service
Medal of Honor Month isn’t just about recognizing history. It’s about keeping the mission alive for the future. Observe Medal of Honor March on We Are The Mighty here.