Utente:Fftravelcom/Sandbox

Template:Infobox military person Luigi Albanese (27 Aprile 1946 – 1 Dicembre 1966) era un americano nato in Italia che Caporale Maggiore dell'esercito degli Stati Uniti durante la Guerra del Vietnam, ha ricevuto la Medal of Honor per l'azione nella quale ha liberato il suo plotone finito sotto il fuoco dei cecchini.

Biografia

Luigi Albanese (In americano chiamato anche lewis o anche Louie) era un ragazzo americano nato in Italia a Cornedo Vicentino - Vicenza, emigrato con i genitori in america all'età di cinque anni. Laureato alla Franklin High School a Seattle,Washington. Brevemente ha lavorato per la Boeing prima di essere arruolato nell'esercito, il 26 ottobre 1965. [1] Ricevuta la formazione di base a Fort Carson, Colorado è stato successivamente inviato in Vietnam nell'agosto del 1966 come parte del 7 ° Cavalleggeri allegato alla prima Divisione di Cavalleria - 1st Cavalry Division (United States Army). Nel mese di dicembre 1966, mentre era di pattuglia nella Repubblica del Vietnam con la compagnia B del 5 ° Battaglione, [2] la sua unità ha ricevuto un pesante fuoco da posizioni nemiche nascoste. Durante un tentativo di accerchiamento del plotone da parte delle forze vietnamite, Albanese fissata una baionetta per la sua arma carica le postazioni nemiche. in un momento di calma del fuoco nemico, Albanese ha scoperto che il fossato era una posizione ben consolidata. Li ha continuato per 100 metri [2] attraverso le linee nemiche, uccidendo almeno otto cecchini nemici, fin quando a corto di munizioni fu costretto a combattere corpo a corpo, morendo ferito a morte dal nemico.

His actions enabled his unit to advance further, and he posthumously received the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his family at the Pentagon by Secretary of the Army Stanley Rogers Resor on February 16, 1968. He is buried in Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Seattle Washington and his name is found on Panel 12E, Row 131 of the Vietnam War Memorial.

Motivazione della Medaglia d'Onore

Citazione:

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.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
• List of Italian American Medal of Honor recipients

References

• MOH record page, su 1stcavmedic.com. URL consultato il October 4, 2010.
• (EN) Fftravelcom/Sandbox, in Find a Grave.