Today, President Obama will present Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins with the prestigious Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam. Normally these awards must be presented within three years of service, but Congress made an exception for Adkins, noted Military Times.
According to Military Times, Adkins spent 22 years as a servicemember and was deployed to Vietnam three times. He is being recognized for his heroic actions during his second deployment.
Adkins was working with the South Vietnamese Civil Irregular Defense Group at Camp A Shau on March 9, 1966, when Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces attacked, reported Army Times. Adkins sprung into action, taking down an estimated 135-175 enemy fighters. He was wounded 18 times himself, and still managed to fight back and help his wounded colleagues.
Adkins spent a total of 38 hours in battle and 48 hours escaping from the North Vietnamese forces, according to CNN. He even experienced a brief encounter with a tiger when it cornered both American and North Vietnamese troops, but was able to escape.
Eventually, Adkins and his surviving peers were rescued by a helicopter, according to Army Times. He went on to have a very successful life after service, receiving a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees. He taught college classes and owned his own accounting service. He is 80 years old and lives with his wife in Opelika, Alabama.
According to Army Times, four of the soldiers Adkins served with in Vietnam will be in attendance at the ceremony, which will take place at the White House.
Adkins told Army Times that he is honored to receive the award.
"Basically, it's a very humbling experience to be recommended for the Medal of Honor. What I attribute this to is not my actions but the actions of the other 16 Americans with us in the battle at Camp A Shau and especially the five Americans that paid the ultimate price."