The FReeper Foxhole Profiles - PFC Albanese, Lewis; Medal of Honor; KIA - July 25th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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Private First Class Lewis Albanese



Medal of Honor

ALBANESE, LEWIS

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Battalion (Airmobile), 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.

Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 1 December 1966.

Entered service at: Seattle, Wash.

Born: 27 April 1946, Venice, Italy. G.O.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Albanese's platoon, while advancing through densely covered terrain to establish a blocking position, received intense automatic weapons fire from close range. As other members maneuvered to assault the enemy position, Pfc. Albanese was ordered to provide security for the left flank of the platoon. Suddenly, the left flank received fire from enemy located in a well-concealed ditch. Realizing the imminent danger to his comrades from this fire, Pfc. Albanese fixed his bayonet and moved aggressively into the ditch. His action silenced the sniper fire, enabling the platoon to resume movement toward the main enemy position.

As the platoon continued to advance, the sound of heavy firing emanated from the left flank from a pitched battle that ensued in the ditch which Pfc. Albanese had entered. The ditch was actually a well-organized complex of enemy defenses designed to bring devastating flanking fire on the forces attacking the main position. Pfc. Albanese, disregarding the danger to himself, advanced 100 meters along the trench and killed 6 of the snipers, who were armed with automatic weapons.

Having exhausted his ammunition, Pfc. Albanese was mortally wounded when he engaged and killed 2 more enemy soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. His unparalleled actions saved the lives of many members of his platoon who otherwise would have fallen to the sniper fire from the ditch, and enabled his platoon to successfully advance against an enemy force of overwhelming numerical superiority. Pfc. Albanese's extraordinary heroism and supreme dedication to his comrades were commensurate with the finest traditions of the military service and remain a tribute to himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.


PFC Lewis Albanese is buried in the veteran's section of Seattle's Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery. A large American/Canadian/South Vietnamese commemoration is held there every year on Memorial Day.

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[snippy_about_it]

Binh Dinh Province



C/1/9 CAV was a US Army unit
B/5/7 CAV was a US Army unit
2/20 ARA 1 CAV was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Binh Dinh Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Phu HUU 2



Description: The C/1/9th Cav Blues had spent the night in an ambush position in the Kim Son Valley the night before this battle that would see two different American platoons try to search and clear the fortified village which held three companies from the 18th NVA Regiment. At the beginning of the battle, POWs would latter say their battalion mustered 197 men.

Two 1st Cav soldiers received the Medal of Honor in this battle.

At 0700H the Blues started moving the final 1K to Phu Huu 2. The platoon started receiving fire as one of its squads moved into the village. SSG Kaneshiro won the Medal of Honor for single handedly clearing several enemy soldiers from a camouflaged trench and bunker system. The platoon leader, CPT Clifford N. Smith, was killed trying to retrieve a wounded soldier.



After taking several more casualties, gunships from C Troop fired up the village. One was flown by 1LT Clinton W. Carter. The Blues were able to retreat about 50 away from the village and helicopters were able to extract their wounded by 1030H. During the gunship's attack, all four were hit by enemy fire. One made a forced landing and two had to leave for LZ HAMMOND for repairs. B/5/7th Cav moved 2Ks from their NDP and passed by the Blues at 1400H.



The battalion commander was overhead in a C&C ship and directed an ARA team to dump on the village. The ARA ships also received lots of enemy fire. Only one platoon tried to re-enter the village and was hit hard.

PFC Lewis ALbanese won the Medal of Honor for killing eight NVA and silencing a major enemy resistence point before he died. Helicopters moved more platoons into smaller LZs around the village all afternoon and into the evening. At 1730H all of the Blues were extracted to LZ HAMMOND to reorganize. The 1st Cav troops sealed the village but a small force had to let 38 NVA move past them at 0300H the next morning.

A sweep of the area found 67 dead NVA and several POWs were taken; but it had been a nasty fight.

Comments: CPT Smith, Clifford N.; Blue Platoon Ldr; KIA; SSG Kaneshiro, Edward N.; SQD LDR; Medal of Honor; PFC Jones, Hardin; M-79 gunner; ; SSG Haskett, Willie P.; SQD LDR; ; PSG Samuel, Lonnie G.; Platoon SGT; ; SGT Cain, Larry D.; Blue; WIA; SGT Anselmi, Samuel; SQD LDR; ; SP4 Ware, Jerry L.; Blue; WIA; PFC Nelson, Allan J.; Blue; KIA; PFC Connelly, Clark H.; Blue; WIA; PFC Martinez, Jorge; Blue; ; PFC Brown, Ralph S.; Blue; WIA; SSG Gavaria, George L.; Blue; PFC Know, Ernest L.; Blue; WIA; PFC Yates, James; Blue; WIA; 1LT Carter, Clinton W.; C/1/9 CAV pilot; PFC Albanese, Lewis; Medal of Honor; KIA

The source for this information was Battle for BIRD by SLA Marshall

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

www.flyarmy.org/panel/battle/66120101.HTM
www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohviet.htm

[Samwise]

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



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[SAMWolf]

Yep! :-)

[SAMWolf]

Good night, Snippy

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. Wow, you snuck in! Can't sleep? Addicted to FR by any chance?

[snippy_about_it]

Good night Sams. ;-)

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut.

[Aeronaut]

Wow, are you up early or up late?

[snippy_about_it]

Up late. One of those "can't sleep" nights, thought I'd check in on the Foxhole.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[tomball]

Good Morning, Foxhole

Here's to another great post and The C/19

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[Darksheare]

I'm in.

[Northern Yankee]

Good Morning All!

Thanks...Snippy!

kerry sure pales in comparision.

What a trememendous young man Lewis Albanese was.

God bless him.

[stand watie]

GM, snippy!

all is well here. we're having WAFFLES this AM at the request of duckie.

come on over!

hug/kiss,duckie & sw

[The Mayor]

July 25, 2004

Saving Dylan

Read: John 9:1-12

Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. —John 9:3

Bible In One Year: Psalms 37-39; Acts 26

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The baby lay critically ill in the hospital, fighting to breathe. He had pneumonia, which made staying alive a struggle for his 8-month-old body. Doctors, nurses, and his family fought to save this weak baby boy.

Some people say he should never have made it to 8 months of age. Others say this precious child should not have been allowed to be born, or that he should have been left to die after he was born.

Why would anyone say this? For one simple reason: Dylan has Down syndrome. Through no fault of his own or of his parents, my great-nephew has an extra chromosome, and he will face some added struggles in his life.

But isn’t his life worth as much as the life of a sick baby with an extra chromosome? Are we not all of equal value in the eyes of our Creator? Aren’t we all deficient in some way? Our lack of perfection should remind us that no one has the right to judge another’s worth.

Our imperfections are opportunities for God to work in our lives. That’s what Jesus told His disciples when they asked why a man had been born blind. He said it happened so that“ the works of God should be revealed in him”(John 9:3).

We’re seeing God work in Dylan’s life. That’s what he’s here for-just like the rest of us. —Dave Branon

People in whom the world sees no value,
But only a burden to bear,
Teach us great lessons of God’s sovereign power—
He loves them as treasures so rare. —Carbaugh


If God didn’t have a purpose for us, we wouldn’t be here.

[GailA]

Good morning, it's raining here in Memphis.

Center>

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.