Medal of Honor recipient retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins has died after a three-week battle against the novel coronavirus.

The 86-year-old former Green Beret, Vietnam War veteran had been hospitalized because of COVID-19 since late March and finally succumbed to the virus on Friday.

Adkins served more than 20-years in the Army, many of which were in various US Army Special Forces groups. He served three tours in Vietnam.

Adkins earned the nation's top medal for valor in 1966 when he killed an estimated 150 enemy fighters and saved dozens of Americans' lives during a 38-hour firefight. The enemy ended up overrunning his outpost, and he rallied his remaining buddies and evaded enemy search and destroy parties in the jungle for another 48-hours before they could be extracted. He was wounded 18 different times during the battle.