The Ballad of Roy Benavidez: The Life and Times of America’s Most Famous Hispanic War Hero

by William Sturkey

The dramatic life of Vietnam War hero Roy Benavidez, a Mexican American Green Beret from a working-class family with deep roots in Texas, revealing how Hispanic Americans have long shaped US history

In May 1968, while serving in Vietnam, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez led the rescue of a reconnaissance team surrounded by hundreds of enemy soldiers. He saved the lives of at least eight of his comrades that day in a remarkable act of valor that left him permanently disabled. Awarded the Medal of Honor after a yearslong campaign, Benavidez became a highly sought-after public speaker, a living symbol of military heroism, and one of the country’s most prominent Latinos.  
Now, historian William Sturkey tells Benavidez’s life story in full for the first time. Growing up in Jim Crow–era Texas, Benavidez was scorned as “Mexican” despite his family’s deep roots in the state. He escaped poverty by enlisting in a desegregating military and was first deployed amid the global upheavals of the 1950s. Even after receiving the Medal of Honor, Benavidez was forced to fight for disability benefits amid Reagan-era cutbacks. 

An unwavering patriot alternately celebrated and snubbed by the country he loved, Benavidez embodied many of the contradictions inherent in twentieth-century Latino life. The Ballad of Roy Benavidez places that experience firmly at the heart of the American story.  

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Biography

464 pages, Hardcover

Published June 11, 2024

About the author

William Sturkey is Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he teaches courses on African American history and the history of the American South. Hattiesburg won the 2020 Zócalo Book Prize.

Reviews

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important look at a hero many of us don't know about. I really appreciated the author's contextualization of the life and times of Roy Benavidez, as well as his forebears, in the history and struggles of this nation. Very much recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Yoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps missing the hagiography deconstruction that makes biographies of "heroes" compelling? Especially as a veteran of an illegal, controversial, (admittedly) annihilationist war. I'm definitely not the intended audience though. Writing was great enough to keep me invested regardless.

[Aryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vietnam War occupies a complicated place in American memory. Debates and discussions of why the United States was there in a military capacity, why the war was lost, and even what winning would have meant tend to eclipse individual stories. The experiences of front line soldiers are broken down into overlapping categories where the experiences of the one, even the fictional one, stand in for the whole group: volunteers, drafted men, Black men, white men, participants in particular battles or episodes. Something that’s not discussed nearly as often: are there still heroes in a morally questionable war? The story of Roy Benavidez argues adeptly that there are.

While at times The Ballad of Roy Benavidez seems to be on the verge of hagiography, Sturkey acknowledges the complexities of understanding the war, and that Benavidez himself did not engage in questions about legitimacy of the actions taken by the US military. Sturkey also addresses the overwhelming role racism played in Benavidez’s life, and an early chapter of the work offers a glimpse at the displacement of Hispanic landowners in Texas during and after the region’s war for independence. Throughout his life, Roy Benavidez was publicly and avowedly pro-America. His military participation and subsequent public life were unswervingly patriotic, even while fighting systemic reforms that deprived him and other Vietnam veterans of disability benefits. As Sturkey notes, we will never know if Benavidez ever had any doubts or questions about the military action in Vietnam and Cambodia, as his public persona dominated everything in his life.

This was an interesting book, highlighting a man who dominated news cycles in the eighties and then faded from general memory, if not more regional and cultural memory. I think that there’s a lot to discuss in this book, about Roy Benavidez himself, as well as perspectives on the United States. I’d recommend this for book clubs, and biography or history fans who are interested in the Vietnam War Era or the national political climate of the post-Vietnam War period.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

[Daniela Perez-Velasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latinos are heroes too.

Almost twenty percent (18.4) of active duty military self identify as Latinx (with slightly more women than men). Our heroic stories deserve to be told. We are the backbone of a country who needs our labor but doesn’t care if we have rights. Regardless of popular stereotypes and media narratives, We are doctors, lawyers, teachers and Medal of Honor recipients.

I’ve been thinking about this book for days since I finished it. It was very emotional reading for me. For context, I served the US Navy, I know and love many veterans and am a daughter of Cuban immigrants. Naturally reading this book was inspirational and infuriating. A must read!!

Mr. Sturkey wanted to tell the complete story of Raul Perez Benavidez, aka Roy, a Vietnam era Mexican - Yaqui- American Medal of Honor recipient and he succeeded.

The story starts in 1820 explaining the Benavidez family history. I welcome the author telling the heroic part of the story, and the dark sides of the story. Tackling the history of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination that set the stage for Roy to find himself a poor, orphaned high school dropout. Perfect target to make a deal with Uncle Sam - writing a blank check (up to and including your life) in exchange for a path to financial stability and upward mobility.

When politicians in DC have asked, Latinos have answered the call to war sparked by a desire for acceptance and appreciation by this country (and perhaps because of the disenfranchisement causing many to seek financial stability). The politicians made promises when then needed boots on the ground only to develop amnesia when it was time to cash the checks.

Vietnam was a controversial conflict, but the story of Roy’s life and military career is so incredible - why wasn’t a movie ever made? Why did he have to fight for a book deal?

Roy Benavidez deserves his story to be known and to inspire for generations to come. 🇲🇽 🇺🇸

Thanks to netgalley and basicbooks and Mr. Sturkey for the ARC. It is my honor and privilege to support this book.

[Wisconsin Alumni]

William Sturkey MA’07
Author

From the author:
The dramatic life of Vietnam War hero Roy Benavidez, revealing how Hispanic Americans have long shaped US history

In May 1968, while serving in Vietnam, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez led the rescue of a reconnaissance team surrounded by hundreds of enemy soldiers. He saved the lives of at least eight of his comrades that day in a remarkable act of valor that left him permanently disabled. Awarded the Medal of Honor after a yearslong campaign, Benavidez became a highly sought-after public speaker, a living symbol of military heroism, and one of the country’s most prominent Latinos.  

Now, historian William Sturkey tells Benavidez’s life story in full for the first time. Growing up in Jim Crow–era Texas, Benavidez was scorned as “Mexican” despite his family’s deep roots in the state. He escaped poverty by enlisting in a desegregating military and was first deployed amid the global upheavals of the 1950s. Even after receiving the Medal of Honor, Benavidez was forced to fight for disability benefits amid Reagan-era cutbacks.

An unwavering patriot alternately celebrated and snubbed by the country he loved, Benavidez embodied many of the contradictions inherent in twentieth-century Latino life. The Ballad of Roy Benavidez places that experience firmly at the heart of the American story. 

[Cheryl Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine the only way you can let a military medic who was zipping you into a body bag know that you were still alive was to spit into the media's face. It is very understandable that the medic thought he was dead, he was covered in blood, and fading in and out of consciousness. He had 37 puncture wounds, had been struck by seven bullets, his arms were sliced in multiple places, his intestines were exposed from a wound in his abdomen, his jaw was broken and his body had been hit by shrapnel in multiple places on his body. These were the injuries sustained by Roy Benevidez during the Vietnam War. If you are a reader of true stories this is the book for you. Roy Benevidez was a Hispanic young man who explained how he grew up in racist Texas and how the Army saved him. He received the highest military award for his actions.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent novel on one of America's heroes! The story is compelling and will hold your interest. The courage and dedication shown by this individual is inspirational. A great read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.