“Legend” is the riveting
historical account of Sgt. Roy Benavides, a US Army Green Beret who fought valiantly
during the war in Viet Nam. Benavides perilously
risked his life to save others, while sustaining his own life-threatening
injuries. Benavides earned a Silver Star
for his actions on May 2, 1968, but the full scope of his actions sat in
obscurity for years. A local newspaper
caught wind about him and published it what they had. Benavides’ comrades wrote letters on his
behalf to the US Army powers-that-be in order to recognize his efforts as
worthy of the Medal of Honor.
The opening chapters introduce readers to Roy’s mischievous
boyhood. Eventually, however, he enlisted
in the Army, which took him to the Vietnamese war theatre. After setting the stage, Blehm brilliantly
inspires readers to consider the many soldiers and helicopter pilots who fought
there. While telling their stories,
Blehm casually assigned Benavides to the shadows for a handful of
chapters. At just the right time, though,
Blehm reintroduces Benavides to the war action, explaining his heroics in
gripping detail.
While I’m certainly no history buff or war historian, this
is one of the most gripping and enthralling war stories I’ve read. Focusing primarily on southern Viet Nam and
its local battles, Blehm also uncovers the secret conflict waged in Cambodia
along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Not only
did I enjoy reading “Legend”, I also learned a great deal of history I never
realized existed. I don’t regret reading
it. Because I don’t want to spoil the story for you, I’ll let you decide if you’ll
read the rest. In the space remaining,
though, I’d like to discuss a few
thoughts that came to mind while reading “Legend”.
First, I continue to marvel at the heroics of brave men who
have fought valiantly for our freedoms. Not only have they and do they fight four
American’s freedoms, but they do it for complete strangers on the other side of
the globe. It is one of mankind’s
wonderful feats, that we lay down our lives for others in need. I am truly thankful for their courage in the
face of danger, and for their sacrifice.
As one of my father’s tee-shirts reads, “All gave some; some gave all”.
Next, stories like this remind me that greatness is primarily
demonstrated, not merely earned.
Although Roy Benavides grew up in humble beginnings, and often finding
himself at the center of trouble, he grew to understand honor and the value of
a good name. At one point in life,
Benavides made a decision to be a man of valor, rather than one of
trouble. He demonstrated that change of
character by his heroic actions. He didn’t
simply give a nice speech or accomplish mere academic accolades. He demonstrated character and action.
This leads me into my final point: Seek out some of the
great men and women around you -- learn their life story, discover who they
really are, seek out their wisdom. You
will certainly find something you can learn from their example and experiences.
RATING: I give “Legend” 5 stars out of 5. Eric Blehm is a brilliant author and
phenomenal story-teller! I read one of
his other books (“Fearless”), and after having read this one, I will no doubt
read others he has authored.
DISCLAIMER: I
received this book free of charge from Blogging for Books in exchange for my
unbiased review of it. All opinions are
mine, and my positive comments were not forced upon me. I was not obligated to provide a positive
review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Blehm is the bestselling author of Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown andThe Only Thing Worth Dying For, which recounts the story of the first Special Forces A-team to infiltrate Taliban-held southern Afghanistan weeks after 9/11. Both titles were New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. His book The Last Season was the winner of the National Outdoor Book Award and was named by Outside magazine as one of the 10 “greatest adventure biographies ever written.” Blehm lives in southern California with his wife and children.
Today you have been nominated as the recipient of an award. It is the very prestigious Creative Blogger’s Award. This honor was bestowed me by my good friend Yvonne of Nashville Cat’s Poetry. Yvonne lives across the pond in England. Thank you very much Yvonne – I am both honored and grateful. I am truly grateful that you find some benefit to your regular reading and commenting on my blog. I am now bestowing this prestige award on you!
ReplyDeleteFellow nominees you now must: acknowledge your nomination, thank the person who nominated you, list five (5) facts about yourself, and nominate 10-20 fellow bloggers.