Medal of Honor

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in action involving actual conflict with an opposing armed force.

Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez

On May 2nd 1968 Master Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Roy P. Benavidez, distinguished himself by a series of daring and extremely valorous actions while assigned to Detachment B56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Republic of Vietnam.

Daniel Fernandez, Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Fernandez demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and driven back by the intense enemy automatic weapons fire before it could evacuate an American soldier who had been wounded in the Viet Cong attack.

Sp4c. Fernandez' profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

Staff Sergeant Ambrosio Guillen

Staff Sergeant Ambrosio Guillen, a young Texas Marine whose personal heroism only two days before the cease-fire in Korea and was responsible for turning an overwhelming enemy attack into a disorderly retreat, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His Medal or Honor was presented to his parents by the Secretary of the Navy Charles S. Thomas at ceremonies in his office, 18 August 1954.

Staff Sergeant Guillen was cited for his heroic leadership of a platoon of Marines on 25 July 1953, near Songuch-on, Korea.

Joseph P. Martinez Statue

Joseph P. Martinez was the first Hispanic Coloradan to receive the medal of honor for acts of conspicuous bravery during World War II in the Aleutian Islands. The statue was created by sculptor Emanuel Martinez and donated to the state as a gift in 1988. It is located in Lincoln Park/ Lower Capitol lawn.

US Army Spc4 Alfred Rascon

As a soldier and public servant, Alfred Rascon has served the United States with distinction for nearly four decades. In 2000, Rascon was belatedly awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valorous service in Vietnam as an Army combat medic. After retiring from a career of public service with the federal government, Rascon returned to military active duty in 2003. Today he is a role model for students and works with soldiers, veterans, and their families, offering support, assistance, and recognition for their contributions to the country.


 

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