SR0198 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0198 LRB099 10768 MST 31699 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, From October 28 through November 2, 1969, Captain William L. Albracht distinguished himself while serving as commander of Firebase Kate, a small, isolated United States Army artillery base secured by a company of Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) troops; and

WHEREAS, On October 28, 1969, Firebase Kate was attacked by approximately 6,000 North Vietnamese troops in 2 infantry regiments and a reinforced artillery regiment which soon knocked out its 3 howitzers; on the morning of October 29, while leading a reconnaissance patrol near the base, an enemy ambush wounded the point man; and

WHEREAS, Disregarding his own safety, Captain Albracht ran through withering fire from a machine gun concealed less than 50 meters away to find the unconscious trooper and carry him to safety; and

WHEREAS, A few hours later, after returning to the firebase, Captain Albracht took up an exposed position to guide a Medevac helicopter to a safe landing; as the aircraft approached, he observed the launch of an enemy B-40 rocket from a nearby hill and realized that the pilot could not see this missile; and

WHEREAS, With complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Albracht stood his ground while frantically waving off the helicopter; the pilot veered away to safety just before the rocket impacted, wounding Captain Albracht with shrapnel; and

WHEREAS, Although in great pain from this wound, Captain Albracht refused medical evacuation and continued to direct the actions of Firebase Kate's defenders; and

WHEREAS, Later that same day, and on numerous occasions on October 30, October 31, and November 1, with complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Albracht took up exposed positions from which he could fire tracer rounds at enemy machine guns and crew-served weapons, thereby identifying targets for a United States Air Force Forward Air Controller overhead; ignoring the storm of small arms and recoilless rifle fire directed at him each time, he remained in position until his marked target was destroyed by United States Air Force attack aircraft; and

WHEREAS, Captain Albracht's actions on these numerous occasions allowed the safe landing of resupply and Medevac helicopters without which the firebase would have been overrun; and

WHEREAS, At dusk on October 30, after an emergency resupply of water, dozens of CIDG troops rushed the water trailer; the enemy immediately fired mortars at them; with complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Albracht ran into this barrage to drive, lead, and in some cases carry CIDG troops out of the beaten zone; and

WHEREAS, On the morning of October 31, as a Medevac helicopter approached the firebase to evacuate several wounded men, the enemy fired mortars, small arms, and recoilless rifles at the wounded men; and

WHEREAS, Fearing for their lives, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Albracht used his own body to shield 2 wounded men until they were on the helicopter; and

WHEREAS, By November 1, relentless attacks by the numerically superior enemy had reduced Firebase Kate's defenders to 125 U.S. and allied soldiers, many of them wounded; resupply flights and air support by helicopter gunships were halted because of overwhelming enemy ground fire; and

WHEREAS, Ordered to evacuate the firebase and then escape and evade the thousands of enemy troops surrounding them, Captain Albracht led his forces off their hilltop at nightfall; and

WHEREAS, When the CIDG point man froze at the entrance to a narrow path through thick jungle that was an obvious ambush location, Captain Albracht took the point and led his men forward; as they approached the tree line, an enemy machine gun directed plunging fire at the column; men scattered into an area littered with bomb and shell craters and splintered trees; and

WHEREAS, To safeguard his men and keep them together, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Albracht plunged into this area, grabbing men 2 and 3 at a time and redirecting them to a safer rallying point; then, evading enemy patrols while navigating entirely by dead reckoning, Captain Albracht led his men through 5 kilometers of thick, trackless jungle to a waiting rescue force; the combined force took a circuitous route to the safety of Special Forces Team A-236's camp at Bu Prang; and

WHEREAS, After 5 harrowing days, Captain Albracht's selfless courage and leadership had saved approximately 125 U.S. and Allied soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Captain Albracht's actions resulted in the only time during the 8 years that U.S. combat forces operated in South Vietnam that a unit surrounded by a numerically superior enemy force escaped intact; and

WHEREAS, Because of Captain Albracht, approximately 125 men lived to fight another day; Captain Albracht's unflinching courage and unflagging leadership in the face of a well-trained and highly motivated enemy were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and will forever reflect great credit upon both himself and the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Capt. William Albracht has been the recipient of 3 Silver Star Medals, 3 Purple Heart Medals, 5 Bronze Star Medals (3 for valor), 2 Air Medals (one for valor), and the Army Commendation Medal (for valor), but was not awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous acts at Firebase Kate; and

WHEREAS, The members of this body believe that the gallantry displayed by Captain William Albracht on those fateful days deserves to be further reviewed by the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense in order to determine if his actions are worthy of this nation's highest military honor; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress, the Department of the Army, and the Department of Defense to again review Captain Albracht's heroic actions at Firebase Kate and, if warranted, upgrade the Silver Star Medal bestowed on him for those actions to the Medal of Honor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the President, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate.