Second Corporal Julio Omar Benitez
He was born on January 22, 1962 in Basavilbaso, Entre Ríos province. He was discharged as a First Class Sailor on February 1, 1979, and was assigned to the "Martín Jacobo Thompson" Petty Officers School in the city of Zárate, Buenos Aires province, from which he graduated in December 1980 as Second Corporal of the Navigation Ladder.
He took various courses specific to his training, such as the one he took in 1981 on "Damage and Fire Control." That same year he passed the courses on the "12.7-millimeter caliber Browning machine gun" and the "20-millimeter caliber Oerlikon cannon."
Between July 1981 and January 1982, he served as a machinist in the Patrol Division of the Directorate of Zone Prefectures, joining the crew of the Coast Guard PNA GC-83 "Río Iguazú," which actively participated in the Malvinas Islands Theater of Operations.
On May 22, the "Río Iguazú" set sail early, bound for Puerto Darwin, transporting personnel and material from the Argentine Army. At 8:25 a.m., it came under attack by two Sea Harrier aircraft from Squadron 800, part of a Combat Air Patrol (PAC). The Coast Guard GC-83 defended itself using its 12.7 mm Browning machine guns, managing to shoot down one of the enemy aircraft. During the attack, Corporal Julio Omar Benítez, operating one of the machine guns, was killed. Chief Officer Gabino González, Third Assistant Juan José Baccaro, and Corporal Carlos Bengochea were also wounded. Corporal José Raúl Ibáñez took over Benítez's position, repelling the attack and downing one of the aircraft.
Due to severe hull damage and water ingress, the ship was grounded on an island, 13 miles east of Puerto Darwin. Anticipating further attacks, the order was given to abandon the "Río Iguazú," rendering it practically unusable. All personnel were evacuated by Argentine Air Force helicopters to Puerto Darwin. On May 24, at 6 p.m., Corporal Benítez was buried with full military honors. Senior personnel from the Army, Air Force, and the "Río Iguazú" crew attended the ceremony. The cannons, communications equipment, and military supplies were recovered and transported by air to Darwin, fulfilling the original mission of transporting support weapons crucial in the battle of Goose Green.
This action is considered the First Air-Naval Combat in Argentine History. Corporal Benítez was posthumously awarded the medal "The Argentine Nation for Heroic Valor in Combat" and promoted to First Corporal on May 24, 1982. He is buried in the Darwin Cemetery in the Malvinas.
Second Corporal José Raúl Ibáñez, a crew member of the patrol boat "Río Iguazú," demonstrated remarkable heroism and courage during an air attack by two enemy Harrier fighters. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the enemy in terms of armament and firepower, Corporal Ibáñez did not hesitate to act. When the machine gun operator was incapacitated, he took the initiative to man the machine gun himself. With this light weapon, ill-suited for combating aircraft, he managed to seriously damage one of the enemy planes, compelling the British air patrol to withdraw.
In recognition of his bravery and decisive action, Corporal Ibáñez was awarded the "Argentine Nation Medal for Heroic Valor in Combat" under Law 22,607 (1982) and its subsequent amendments.