Photo By Sgt. L'Erin Wynn | Command Sgt. Maj. (retired) Bennie Adkins and Medal of Honor recipient, gives a brief...... read more read more
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EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – After a career of distinguished service and selfless sacrifice as a Special Forces operator, Medal of Honor recipient Command Sgt. Maj. (retired) Bennie G. Adkins, continues serving his country by giving back through educational scholarships.
On April 12, 2018, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) welcomed Adkins to the compound to share his story.
Adkins volunteered for SF in 1961 and served for more than 13 years with the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th Special Forces Group’s. During that time he deployed to the Republic of Vietnam three times between 1963 and 1971.
Reading from his Medal of Honor citation, when his camp was attacked by a large North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in the early morning hours, the then, Sgt. 1st Class Adkins, assigned to 5th SFG(A), 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.
In 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 Adkins killed between 135 and 175 of the enemy while sustaining 18 different wounds to his body.
In 2014, nearly 50 years after the fact, Adkins was awarded the Medal of Honor by former President Barack Obama for his stout-heartedness in the height of the Vietnam War. Thinking nothing of his acts aside from fulfilling his duties as a Green Beret, Adkins was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and said that he, “wore it with honor for 48 years.”
With that, he went on to continue his career and his education; a mission that Adkins said helped him readjust to civilian life. His mission now consists of carrying on his legacy of selfless service, education and dedication to the Special Forces community by way of his nonprofit organization: The Bennie Adkins Foundation.
The foundation serves to provide scholarships to enlisted Special Forces operators, E-5 through E-9, who have demonstrated the courage, sacrifice and patriotism inherent in the Special Forces, and aid them with the opportunity to pursue higher education once they have transitioned back to civilian life after active duty.
“I decided that with [being awarded the Medal of Honor], I was so fortunate that I would give back,” said Adkins. “The true heroes are those Soldiers who are serving today, and I am looking forward to [giving] something back to help them as they transition.”
Since its inception just last year, the foundation has awarded scholarships to two Soldiers. Adkins said that this year, he and his board of directors plan to award 25 more. The Bennie Adkins Foundation scholarships are now open for applications. To learn more about Adkins or contribute to the foundation, visit www.bennieadkinsfoundation.org.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.08.2018 05:18 |
| Story ID: | 273191 |
| Location: | EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | AUBURN, ALABAMA, US |
| Hometown: | OPELIKA, ALABAMA, US |
| Hometown: | WAURIKA, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 332 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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