To Be An American: The Ballad of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez (1935-1998)

FAIN: FT-278389-21

William Mychael Sturkey
University of Pennsylvania (Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1350)

Writing of a biography of Vietnam War veteran, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, and iconic military figure Roy Benavidez (1935-1998).

“To Be An American” is a biography of Vietnam War hero Roy Benavidez. Beginning with his family's history as Texas pioneers in the 1800s, it chronicles the saga of Benavidez, tracing his life from the Texas cotton fields to the Pentagon. Through the lens of this legendary Mexican American, this book explores the intersectionality of American citizenship, race, military service, political rhetoric, and public policy against the backdrop of the Cold War and the rise and fall of the liberal welfare state, ultimately examining America’s relationship with its most revered heroes, balanced against what it requires of them in return.