A Tiger among Us: A Story of Valor in Vietnam's A Shau Valley

In March 1966, Sergeant First Class Bennie Adkins and sixteen other Green Berets were stationed at Camp A Shau, a small training and reconnaissance camp located next to the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Vietnam's A Shau Valley. Over four grueling days, the undermanned and unfortified position came under sustained attack from the North Vietnamese Army, which outnumbered the Americans roughly 10-to-1. The Green Berets faced constant mortar and rifle fire, direct assaults, treacherous allies, and severe jungle weather. Throughout the battle, Adkins fought with particular intensity and, when evacuation came, helped carry wounded soldiers to safety. Forty-eight years later, by then Command Sergeant Major, Adkins received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the siege. This account documents the battle through its physical details and describes the soldiers' experiences of bravery, skill, and resilience in combat.