William Albracht
William "Bill" Albracht was an Army captain in the Vietnam War. He is a recipient of three Silver Stars, and is the author of Abandoned in Hell: The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate.
Early Life
William Albracht was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois. In 1966, he graduated from Alleman High School (Rock Island, Illinois).[1]
Career
Military
At 21 years old, Captain William Albracht was the youngest Green Berets captain in Vietnam.[2] He saved 150 lives during the evacuation of battle site Firebase Kate in the Quang Duc province of South Vietnam.[3]
Albracht was awarded three Silver Stars for his actions in the Vietnam War.[4] He has also received three Purple Hearts and five Bronze Stars.[5]
After the War
For twenty-five years, Albracht served as a Secret Service Officer. During his time with the United States Secret Service, he guarded four American Presidents and numerous foreign officials. After his retirement, he managed Executive Security Operations for the Ford Motor Company.[6]
In 2005, Captain Albracht returned to his hometown. He served on the Board of Quad Cities Chapter 299 for five years, and was its president for two terms.[2]
In the 2012 election for the Illinois State Senate in the 36th District, Albracht made an unsuccessful bid for political office as a Republican against Senator Mike Jacobs.[1] [7]
Writings
Along with Captain Marvin J. Wolf, Captain William Albracht wrote the book Abandoned in Hell: The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate. It recounts Albracht's leadership in Vietnam, specifically his heroic actions on a remote hilltop outpost called Firebase Kate.
References
- ^ a b Ickes, Barb (26 May 2013). "Push is on to land Albracht a Medal of Honor". Alleman Catholic High School. Quad City Times. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ a b Sharp, Arthur G. (2013). "A Quest for Recognition:Bill Albracht and the Miraculous Escape from Firebase Kate". VVA Veteran Online. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ "Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Advocates for Medal of Honor Review for Vietnam War Veteran Bill Albracht". bustos.house.gov. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ "William L. Albracht: Awards and Citations". Military Times. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ "Biographical Profile for Bill Albracht". vote-il.org. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ "William Albracht, Abandoned in Hell: The Fight For Vietnam's Firebase Kate". pritzkermilitary.org. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ Lewis, Brittany (2 November 2014). "36th District Senate Race is the most expensive in the History of Illinois". wqad.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.