Lieutenant Col. David J. Furness, Commanding Officer for 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, awards Frank Albano his Purple Heart and Korean War Service Medal Dec. 15, 2005. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Lanessa Arthur
Posted on 01/12/2006 4:30:40 PM PST by SandRat
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2006) -- Private First Class Frank Albano, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, was injured by shrapnel at Inchon, South Korea in 1950, just two years after enlisting in the Marine Corps. More than five decades later, the 76-year-old veteran was awarded his Purple Heart.
During a Dec. 15, 2005 ceremony at Camp Horno, 55 years after being injured, Albano stood in front of Lt. Col. David J. Furness, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment to be recognized for his sacrifices.
“There were Marines with worse injures,” said the resident of Mission Viejo, Calif. “I continued with my unit until the end of our deployment.”
Albano joined the Marine Corps out of New Orleans in June 1948. He attended recruit training at Parris Island, S.C. and was stationed at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas shortly thereafter. Two years into his contract, Albano found himself in the Korean War.
Albano landed at Inchon with Company C, and they fought their way to the capitol city of Seoul. Albano said their orders were to seize the train station there, Sept 25, 1950.
Soon after securing the station, Albano, fire team leader for 3rd squad, 3rd platoon, headed forward to seize surrounding buildings.
Upon leaving the train station, the Marines were fired upon from the second story of a building by mortars, Albano said.
Albano and others were forced to low-crawl their way back to the train station, clutching their rifles in the bend of their elbows. Although they were moving as fast as possible, it wasn’t fast enough to escape shrapnel fragments.
“The shrapnel was flying right in between our arms and over our heads,” said Albano.
Albano received injuries to his right forearm and shoulder but refused treatment at the time due to more serious injuries to Marines in his squad.
Despite his wounds, Albano continued to serve with Company C for 10 months and went through the Chosin Reservoir Campaign as a corporal. He was promoted to sergeant upon returning to the United States and was assigned to Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla. There, he was promoted to staff sergeant one year later. Albano was again transferred to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, N.C., where he was medically discharged from the Marine Corps.
After years of waiting and writing the Purple Heart off as something that wouldn’t happen, Albano made inquires as to what it would take to get the award approved.
“It was harder to get awards back then because so much was going on and everything happened so fast,” said Albano.
He needed two eyewitnesses that could describe the event and make notarized statements. Two years after submitting the award Albano was approved for the Purple Heart Medal, along with the Korean War Service Medal, which was approved by the Department of Defense on Aug. 20, 1999, 49 years after the start of the war.
Retired Capt. Don Greenlaw, who served with Albano in the Korean War, arranged the paperwork for the award.
Albano is active in Marine Corps organizations like the Chosin Few, Disabled Veterans Association, 1st Marine Division Association and now the Purple Heart Association, which gives Albano the opportunity to wear the trademark purple tie with the medal embroidered on it.
Marine awarded PH after 55 Year wait.
Outstanding!
Always good to see a warrior get his due.
Guy's got class, too.
Good stuff. My dad got a Purple Heart from the Korean War. I will pass this onto him.
My best salute to you Mr. Albano. Thank you for your service to our country.
bump
BTTT
By any chance, has John Kerry been afforded a copy of this story. Someone should tell him, this is how real men act under fire.
From what I understand the three Purple Hearts that Murtha wears are now being called into question. Is there a party trend here? Hmmmmmmmmmm.........
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