Bennie G. Adkins Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bennie G. Adkins
Adkins during his Medal of Honor ceremony on September 15, 2014.
Born	(1934-02-01)February 1, 1934 Waurika, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	April 17, 2020(2020-04-17) (aged 86) Opelika, Alabama, U.S.
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1956–1978
Rank	Command Sergeant Major
Unit	5th Special Forces Group
Battles/wars	Vietnam War Battle of A Shau
Awards	Medal of Honor Bronze Star Medal (2 with "V" device) Purple Heart (3)

Bennie Gene Adkins (born February 1, 1934 – died April 17, 2020) was a brave soldier in the United States Army. He received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award for bravery in the U.S. military. He earned this award for his amazing actions during the Vietnam War.

In March 1966, Adkins showed incredible courage. He fought for 38 hours straight against enemy forces during the Battle of A Shau. At that time, Adkins was a sergeant first class. He was an intelligence sergeant with a special unit called Detachment A-102, part of the 5th Special Forces Group.

Who Was Bennie Adkins?
The Medal of Honor
- Why Adkins Received It
Awards and Honors
Images for kids
See also

Who Was Bennie Adkins?

Adkins was born in Waurika, Oklahoma. He joined the Army in 1956. First, he was stationed in Germany. Later, he joined the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Benning.

Becoming a Special Forces Soldier

After training to jump out of airplanes, he volunteered for the Special Forces in 1961. This is a group of highly trained soldiers. He served with different Special Forces groups for over 13 years.

He went to South Vietnam three times between 1963 and 1971. In April 1967, Adkins received the Distinguished Service Cross. This was for his actions with Detachment A-102 during his second tour in Vietnam.

After the Vietnam War, Adkins continued his military career. He retired from the Army in 1978.

Life After the Army

After leaving the Army, Adkins went to college. He earned a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees from Troy University. He then started his own accounting business. He also taught classes at colleges like Southern Union State Community College and Auburn University.

In 2017, Troy University gave him an honorary doctorate degree. This was to honor his achievements.

His Final Years

In March 2020, Adkins became sick with COVID-19. He was taken to the hospital and needed help breathing. He sadly passed away from the illness on April 17, 2020, at 86 years old. Bennie Adkins was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in December 2020.

The Medal of Honor

CSM Adkins receiving the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama.

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for bravery a U.S. soldier can receive. It is given for extreme acts of courage during combat.

Why Adkins Received It

Starting in 2002, the U.S. Army looked back at all the soldiers who had received the Distinguished Service Cross. They wanted to see if any of these brave actions were actually worthy of the Medal of Honor. This review led to many awards being upgraded.

In 2013, a special law was passed. This law removed the time limit for reviewing the cases of Donald P. Sloat and Bennie Adkins. This meant their actions could be considered for the Medal of Honor, even though many years had passed.

On September 15, 2014, President Barack Obama officially gave the Medal of Honor to Adkins. This was an upgrade from his 1967 Distinguished Service Cross. During the same ceremony, the Medal of Honor was also given to Donald Sloat and Alonzo Cushing. Adkins was also honored in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.