Staff Sargeant Harold George Bennett deceased. staff Sergeant Bennett was born in thornburg and served with the US army in Vietnam his awards include the silver star medal for gallantry in action and the Purple Heart met while serving as a Ranger advisor to the 33rd Vietnamese Ranger battalion staff Sergeant Bennett volunteered on Christmas Day to lead A7 man Ranger combat team on a helicopter named the suicide chopper into a one ship landing zone near the Cambodian border in an effort to free three Americans held captive by communist forces Ranger excuse me Ranger Bennett and his snatch team landed and quickly worked their way through the camp the VC had moved to prisoners prior to their arrival while this mission to liberate the captured Americans was not accomplished in no way did it detract from the heroic efforts of Sergeant Bennett to free them four days later on December 29th 1964 staff Sergeant Bennett with his American RTO accompanied the second company of the 33rd Ranger battalion on the 1st airlift into operational area the legendary battle of Bengai as the Rangers were being overrun by elements of the vehicle and 9th division Sergeant Bennett remained on the radio refusing any attempt to evacuate him and his RTO from the overwhelming enemy forces and their firepower after Sergeant Bennett's capture at Bengai he was labeled A troublemaker by his captors because of his constant aggressiveness in the brutal conditions of the jungle POW camps he verbally berated his guards daring them to confront him man to man on one of his three unsuccessful escape attempts of vietcong soldier almost bit off Sergeant Bennett's finger as he punched the guard driven by dedication to duty personal honor and his religious faith the enemy could not break him in June of 1965 the communist National Liberation Front announced that they had executed staff Sergeant Harold Lee Bennett reportedly in reprisal for actions at the South Vietnamese government he was the first American soldier to be executed in Vietnam Ranger Bennetts exemplary boldness complete disregard for his own safety and his deep concern for his fellow fighting men at the risk of his own life reflects the highest traditions of the United states army his actions are the embodiment of the Ranger spirit