VALOR REMEMBERED
HISTORY

OUR BEGINNING.  Valor Remembered Foundation grew from a group of Vietnam veterans who began working together in the summer of 2000 to raise support for a memorial honoring the late Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez, US Army Special Forces, a Medal of Honor recipient and distinguished American patriot.  They first assembled as volunteers to  provide technical and historical advice to sculptors Mark and Jenelle Byrd of Dallas, Texas, who were creating historically accurate sketches in clay as studies for the proposed statue.  Together they soon formed the Benavidez Memorial Advisory Group, which assisted in a number of events honoring Roy Benavidez by providing advice and volunteer support at those events.  Some of the members of the Benavidez Advisory Group eventually founded Valor Remembered, a not for profit foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy of American valor.   Some highlights in this history are listed below.

ROY BENAVIDEZ MEMORIAL CONCEIVED, El Campo, Texas, June 2000.  Mark Byrd was selected as sculptor for a proposed memorial honoring Roy Benavidez and the Vietnam Veterans of Dewitt County, Texas, by a citizens group in Cuero, Texas.  After working with the Cuero group for several months Byrd withdrew his proposal from the Cuero project and turned his attention to developing a monumental, larger than life sculpture honoring Roy Benavidez and the men who fought along side him during the action of May 2, 1968.  Byrd believes that the monument to Benavidez should be located in a prominent nationally visible location such as San Antonio, Houston, Austin, or Dallas.   The Cuero project has continued as the Roy Benavidez Memorial, but that project has no connection with Valor Remembered Foundation or Mark Austin Byrd - Sculptors.

BENAVIDEZ SCULPTURES DISPLAYED, Cuero, Texas, July 4, 2000.  The sculptor displayed four clay sketches that were quick studies for the Benavidez Memorial at the 4^th of July Picnic in Cuero, Texas to assist with fundraising for Cuero's project.  Photo at right:  A quick clay sketch of Roy Benavidez defending himself and his fallen comrade, Lloyd Mousseau in hand to hand fighting. MABS photo.

BENAVIDEZ ADVISORY ESTABLISHED.  Dallas, Texas, July 2000.  Brendon Lyons Jr., Special Forces veteran of the Vietnam War volunteered to advise the sculptors on technical and historical aspects of the Roy Benavidez MOH incident and soon recruited volunteers from around the nation to participate in developing the project.

HISTORICAL PROJECT STARTED.   Dallas, Texas, July 2000.  Research to locate mission survivors, witnesses, and loved ones of participants resulted in contact with several who played significant roles in the history of the Roy Benavidez MOH.  Kathy Meuller who never knew her father, Lloyd Mousseau, DSC, was just three when he was killed on May 2, 1968.  She never knew the story of his last days, but through the efforts of the Roy Benavidez family, the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, and the Benavidez Advisory Group, she now knows her father's valiant history.  Valor Remembered is continuing the search for the families of others killed in the action including  the wife and children of Leroy Wright.

BENAVIDEZ BATTLE REENACTED, Dallas, Texas, summer 2000.  Eugene "Gene"  Pugh, one of Valor Remembered founding directors and a former Green Beret, poses for a sculpture of Roy Benavidez engaged in hand to hand fighting with an NVA soldier. The model for the NVA is actually a young Montagnard tribesman who fled Vietnam after the fall of the South Vietnamese government. Pugh is wearing the actual "tiger stripe" uniform and holding the K-bar knife that he used in Vietnam and Laos in 1969 when he served on Special Operations recon teams operating in Laos.  MABS Photo.

BENAVIDEZ MEMORIAL SCULPTURES DISPLAYED - Special Operations Association Reunion, Las Vegas, Nevada. October, 2000  The Special Operations Association is a group of veterans from all services that participated in the secret cross border operations into Cambodia, Laos and other denied areas during the Vietnam war.   Preliminary studies for several small sculptures depicting Roy on the battlefield, helping his fallen comrades, and a life size bust were displayed for the membership of the SOA with the assistance of Benavidez Advisory Group members.  Photo at left:  Clay study bust of Roy Benavidez by sculptor Jenelle Armstrong Byrd. MABS photo.

CUERO HIGH SCHOOL, Cuero, Texas, October 2000.  SOG – A Photo History of the Secret War, by John Plaster was donated to the library of Cuero High School, Cuero, Texas, in memory of Roy Benavidez by the Benavidez Advisory Committee to help students in Roy’s birthplace understand more about Roy’s war.  The book was signed by the author and by about thirty-five men whose pictures and personal stories appear in the book  Many of these men wrote personal notes of encouragement to the students of Cuero High School in memory of Roy Benavidez.

ROY BENAVIDEZ ADVISORY GROUP FORMED, December 2000.  Mark Byrd, sculptor and Brendon Lyons formally organized a committee of volunteers to advise on the formation of the Roy P. Benavidez Foundation, Inc. and to assist in the development of the Roy P. Benavidez Memorial  project.

ALAMO SILVER WINGS AIRBORNE ASSOCIATION DISPLAY.  February 2001, San Antonio.  Advisory Committee displayed Benavidez memorial sculpture studies at the annual military ball of the ASWAA.  Displayed sculpture titled Roy and Mousseau for the first time.

TEXAS LEGISLATIVE MEDAL OF HONOR.  Austin, Texas, May 2, 2001.  The Texas Legislature in joint session conferred the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor posthumously on Roy Benavidez.  Photo at right: The late Richard Rocco, Medal of Honor Recipient, of San Antonio discusses the monumental clay study "Six Hours in Hell"  with the artist, Mark Byrd.  - Photo by Austin American-Statesman.  The advisory group participated in planning for the event with the legislative staff and Benavidez family members.  The Benavidez Advisory group accomplished the following tasks:

SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION, Houston, Texas, June 2001.  The Advisory Group representatives briefed the  national leaders of the association on the status of the project and displayed the Benavidez Collection including: Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez. MOH - First showing of bronze casting of this life-size bust of Benavidez. Six Hours in Hell – First showing of this larger-than-life bonded bronze vignette statue of Benavidez on the battlefield. Photo at right: Statue titled Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez, MOH as shown for the first time at the Special Forces Association annual convention in Houston.  MABS photo.

VERIZON  CORPORATE GALLERY  - Benavidez Sculpture Display.  Irving, Texas, July 6-Aug 3, 2001.   The "Benavidez Collection" of  sculptures was shown for one month in the  gallery at Verizon Corporate Headquarters.

NAVY CHRISTENS THE USNS BENAVIDEZ, New Orleans, July 21, 2001.  The US Navy christened the new roll-on, roll-off transport ship, the USNS Benavidez in New Orleans. Valor Remembered founders attended the event.  Benavidez Sculpture Presented to Navy.  The Alamo Silver Wings Airborne Association of San Antonio presented miniature bust of Roy Benavidez by Jenelle Byrd to the ship. MABS Photo.

VALOR REMEMBERED FORMED, Dallas, Texas, May 2, 2002.  The foundation’s mission is to preserve the legacy of American valor through education, research, and the arts by creating commemorative and memorial sculptures honoring selected American heroes.  

CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY - Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367,  Camp Pendleton, California, May 3, 2002.  Valor Remembered pres. Brad Ryti  attended  the change of command ceremony of his former squadron from the Vietnam War, HMLA 367 (then known as HML 367) to introduce active duty Marines to Valor Remembered's plans to honor Marine MOH recipient Stephen Pless.  Photo to right: In the hanger of HMLA 367, from the left, Brad Ryti, Mark Byrd, John Stryker Meyer, Capt. Beth Ferland, USMC., and Doug LeTourneau. Meyer and  LeTourneau are former Green Berets who served with MACVSOG during the Vietnam war and they were supported routinely in their missions by HML367. MABS Photo 2002.

STEPHEN W. PLESS MEMORIAL PROJECT.  Dallas, Texas, May 31, 2002.  Valor Remembered officially accepted a proposal from sculptors Mark and Jenelle Byrd for the development and creation of a memorial honoring Stephen W. Pless, USMC, and the men who served with him in the action for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION CONVENTION DISPLAY.  Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, June 18-22, 2002.  Members of the Valor Remembered Directors introduced the newest Benavidez sculpture, Little Brother, to the hundreds of SF veterans.  Flyers were distributed about the foundation and its projects.

“VETERANOS” LOBBY DISPLAY.   San Antonio, Texas June 27-29, 2002.  Valor Remembered displayed the Benavidez Collection of sculptures in the theater lobby during the San Antonio premier of the play ” Veteranos”, honoring Hispanic American Medal of Honor recipients, including Roy Benavidez.

FIRST BENAVIDEZ SCULPTURES PURCHASED.  San Antonio, Texas, June 27, 2002.  Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, a friend of Roy Benavidez from his early childhood in Cuero, Texas, became the first purchaser of a sculpture in the "Benavidez Collection."   Twenty percent of the purchase price of these sculptures will benefit Valor Remembered's Roy P. Benavidez Memorial Fund.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS ASSOC. REUNION DISPLAY.  Las Vegas, Nevada, September 25-28, 2002.  Valor Remembered Vice President Bill Kilpatrick introduced the members and directors of the SOA to Valor Remembered and its mission.

POP A SMOKE REUNION 2002 DISPLAY.  Pensacola, Florida, October 10-13, 2002.   Valor Remembered members introduced the membership of the USMC Vietnam Helicopter Association to the concept for the Stephen W. Pless Memorial sculpture including a concept depicting the entire Pless flight crew.  About 2000 former Marines and their families saw the first proof castings of  five life-size busts - two of Pless and one of each of his three crew members.  A 12-inch high miniature clay statue showed the crew as they might have looked at the conclusion of their daring  Aug. 19, 1967 POW mission — the most decorated flight crew, for a single mission,  in American history.

SPECIAL FORCES MINI REUNION DISPLAY.  San Antonio, Texas, October 18, 19, 2002.  Valor Remembered was well represented at this area function, where the Executive Director of the National Special Forces Assn. was briefed on the status of the Roy Benavidez Memorial Project.

NEW MEXICO MILITARY INSTITUTE, Roswell, New Mexico, October 18, 2002.  Valor Remembered Director Daniel Castillo represented the foundation at his class reunion by displaying the miniature statue of Roy Benavidez titled "Benavidez".

MARINE CORPS LEAGUE - Commanders Conference.  Houston, Texas, October 25,26, 2002.  Displays of sculptural studies for both projects, the Roy Benavidez Memorial and the Stephen Pless Memorial were presented to a regional Commanders’ Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Representative of Valor Remembered addressed the ball to introduce them to the two projects.

VISITED POTENTIAL MEMORIAL SITE.  Houston, Texas, October 27, 2002.  A 20 acre park on the northeast side of Houston has now been designated by the city as a Veterans Park.  Sculptors, Mark and Jenelle Byrd surveyed the site as a possible location for the Roy P. Benavidez Memorial.

FIRST DONATION RECEIVED.  Chicago, Illinois, October 29, 2002.   Corgi Classics, Inc. issued a check to Valor Remembered for $750 for the Roy Benavidez Memorial in memory of Major Stephen Pless, USMC, MOH.  Photo at right: Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger and Mark Byrd with enlarged copy of the Corgi Classics check. MABS Photo

TAX-EXEMPT STATUS APPROVED.  Dallas, Texas, November 1, 2002.   Contributions to Valor Remembered will now be tax exempt to the full extent allowed by law.

ROY P. BENAVIDEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, San Antonio, Texas, November 9, 2002.  Valor Remembered displayed the Benavidez Collection of sculptures at the dedication of this new school and distributed brochures.  A life size plaster casting of the bust of Roy Benavidez was loaned to the school on behalf of Valor Remembered to promote the student’s interest in their namesake. MABS Photo.

STEPHEN PLESS SCULPTURE DISPLAYED in  Newnan, GA.  December 5, 2002. Newnan is the birthplace to two MOH recipients—Stephen Pless and Joe Jackson and both received the MOH on the same day.  Valor Remembered unveiled a bust of Stephen Pless for a group of Newnan citizens, and found they were enthusiastic about creating two life size statues -  honoring Joe Jackson and Stephen Pless.  A life-size plaster bust of Major Stephen Pless was left on loan to the community where it will be displayed at several prominent sites in Newnan over the coming year to build support for a future memorial project.