THE BALLAD OF ROY BENAVIDEZ: The Life and Times of America's Most Famous Hispanic War Hero

Growing up in Jim Crow-era Texas, Benavidez was scorned as "Mexican" despite his family's deep roots in the state. He escaped poverty by enlisting in a desegregating military and was first deployed amid the global upheavals of the 1950s. Even after receiving the Medal of Honor, he was forced to fight for disability benefits amid Reagan-era cutbacks. Illus.