Medal of Honor recipient Adkins to speak at Auburn University Sept. 25

Published: September 23, 2014

Article body

Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. and recent Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins will give a talk on leadership during a public forum hosted by the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7  p.m. in 125 Lowder Hall.

Adkins, a longtime Opelika resident, was one of three Medal of Honor recipients honored by President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., Sept. 15.

Adkins also earned the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart with four Oak Leaf clusters, and the Distinguished Service Cross, among other honors, for his valor in Vietnam. In the summer of 1966, Adkins, then a sergeant first class, and his fellow soldiers fought off waves of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces during a 38-hour onslaught at Camp A Shau, rescuing fellow soldiers and evading the enemy in the jungle until being evacuated by helicopter. According to Army records, Adkins sustained 18 wounds while killing an estimated 135 to 175 enemy fighters.

Related Links

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.