Benavidez papers now stationed at UT-Austin site
By CHRIS BARBEE cbarbee@leader-news.com

L-N Photo by Chris Barbee Honoring Her Father Yvette Garcia, the daughter of the late Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez, reviews Leader-News coverage of her father, a Medal of Honor recipient. The University of Texas at Austin now has Benavidez' papers on display at the Institute for Studies in American Military History, Center for American History.

Papers covering the life of the late Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez, who was awarded the U.S. Army's Medal of Honor for heroism and bravery under fire on May 2, 1968 in Cambodia, just west of Loc Ninh, South Vietnam, are now open for public viewing at The Institute for Studies in American Military History, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

The Benavidez papers contain correspondence, photographs, topical files, military documents, honors and awards, writings, printed material, LP albums and memorabilia documenting his career in the United States Army and his receipt of the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War, said Echo Uribe, program coordinator.

The bulk of the collection contains documentation regarding his interest in veterans' affairs and career as a public speaker after receiving the Medal of Honor, and includes programs from public appearances and dedications, awards, articles about Benavidez, fan mail, and other tributes.

Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez

Of particular interest is the documentation and correspondence on behalf of Benavidez from elected officials, military service personnel and citizens in support of his being awarded the Medal of Honor after he learned he had been nominated for it by his commander. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross soon after the action west of Loc Ninh, but it was not until Feb. 24, 1981 that President Ronald Reagan draped the Medal around his neck during a Pentagon courtyard ceremony.

Benavidez died Nov. 28, 1998 at the age of 63,

"I, especially, am proud of The University of Texas Institute of American Military History housing my father's papers and artifacts. Not only because I am a graduate of UT, but because I know how many students and people in general use the library for research. It's a huge honor to have my alma mater accept his personal belongings.

"The facility is awesome when it comes to research, and now that it's online makes it that much more accessible to people all over the world.

"We received such a warm welcome when Echo Uribe and her staff gave us a tour, that I can't wait to see how everything ended up being categorized and housed," said Garcia, an El Campo ISD elementary school teacher.

Dr. Tom Hatfield, head of the Institute for Studies in American Military History, said, "We're grateful to the family for choosing us as a repository for Master Sgt. Benavidez's papers. This is a significant collection not only for students of military history, but for those interested in the histories of Hispanic and Native American Texans as well. This collection will add to our understanding of war, especially the Vietnam War, and serve as a basis for the history books, novels and films of tomorrow."

The arrangement of the Benavidez papers closely reflects the filing system and manner in which Benavidez categorized and filed documents. The Correspondence and Subject Files listed by state contain letters of support from citizens of that state, as well as arrangements for public appearances in that state.

Friends and acquaintances of the war hero are making their own donations to the Institute.

The archived materials, when stacked, are currently 9 feet, 6 inches tall. The materials cover the period from 1943 to 2007.

Officials at the Institute for Studies in American Military History plan for the Benavidez college to serve as the cornerstone for archiving the papers of other Texas Medal of Honor recipients. In fact, since taking in Benavidez's papers, the family of World War II MOH recipient Macario Garcia of Sugar Land has donated his papers to the Institute.

Noel Benavidez, Roy's only son, said his family packed up and delivered 20 boxes to UT.

"It was worth the time to preserve these documents. Not because he is Roy P. Benavidez, but because he is a Hispanic who like many Hispanics before him have contributed to development of this country, the state of Texas, our nation's military and educating our nation's youth on the values of self-respect, integrity, honesty and the importance of getting an education," Noel said.

And to Noel, who just earned a bachelor's degree in communications from UH-Victoria, the educational aspect is important as well.

"UT, along with the Benavidez and Macario Garcia families, have laid the cornerstone for students, researchers and the general public to learn about these men's devotion to their beloved family, the military and their fellow veterans ... and the sacrifices they made so that we can have a better future. We hope that the families of the other 76 Medal of Honor recipients from Texas will also make similar donations to the Center."

While collecting the materials was laborious, the family enjoyed the walk down memory lane.

"I was curious to read some of the documents that he had saved. Aside from his military documents, people from all walks of life wrote to Dad indicating that his words inspired them to make a difference in their life and in their community. Unfortunately, time did not allow us to read through every document, but what I did read was inspiring."

Benavidez's collection may be viewed online at: www.lib.utexas. edu/taro/utcah/00585/ cah-00585.html.