Governor Ivey Releases Statement on Passing of Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins

Governor Kay Ivey released the following statement on the passing of  Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins:

This past weekend, Alabama lost one of its finest veterans to the COVID-19 virus — retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins. Sgt. Maj. Adkins, a native of Waurika, Oklahoma, served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army with over 13 of those years spent as a Green Beret in the 7th, 3rd, 6th, and 5th Special Forces Groups. He deployed to Vietnam three times. His heroic efforts, from an intense battle in 1966, were later recognized in 2014 with the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. Under normal circumstances, I would issue a flag memo immediately after a funeral date was announced, but a date is unknown at this time. My office is in close communication with the Adkins family and will send a follow up flag memo when funeral arrangements have been made for his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Adkins died on April 17. He was 86.