Cpl. Benito Martinez

Martinez enlisted in 1950 at the recruiting station in Fort Hancock and joined Company A of the 27th Infantry Regiment. On the night of September 5, 1952, he was on listening-post duty at Outpost Agnes, a four-man bunker in front of the position called Sandbag Castle. When North Korean troops moved to cut off the forward bunkers, he sent three men back and stayed with Pfc. Paul G. Myatt, who was later taken prisoner. Martinez was first buried in the Fort Hancock Cemetery and in the 1980s reburied at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

What the plaque says

Machinegunner, U.S. 25th Inf. Div., Cpl. Benito Martinez (April 21, 1932 - Sept. 6, 1952) Graduated from Fort Hancock High School, May 1951. In Korean War, earned Congressional Medal of Honor in lone 6-hour stand near Satae-Ri, Korea, Sept. 6, 1952, enabling his unit to regain key terrain. He rejected offers of aid; was cited for incredible valor, supreme sacrifice. (1967)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• San Elizario Historic District — 32 mi
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