William “Hawk” Albracht - U.S. Army Special Forces, Vietnam

William Albracht and Sgt. Daniel Pierelli walked the perimeter of Firebase Kate on October 28, 1969, they realized just how precarious their situation was. Albracht and Pierelli, who were responsible for the safety of about 150 personnel on the poorly defended hill, knew they had three choices: die, be captured, or escape. They chose the last, but not until November 1, when they determined they could no longer defend the firebase.

Albracht, 21-year-old was the youngest captain in Special Forces, and this was his first time in combat. Firebase Kate was his first command. It would be a memorable one. The NVA began its siege of Firebase Kate in earnest on the night of October 28. NVA troops, who outnumbered Kate’s defenders by about forty to one, launched their first assault at about 11:30 the next morning. The number of assaults increased as the days went by. NVA troops attacked with small arms fire, mortars, artillery, and B-40 rockets.

Albracht’s troops suffered a growing number of deaths and injuries. Morale plummeted as food, water, ammo, and medical supplies dwindled drastically. Albracht had taken shrapnel in his arm on October 29 as he directed a medevac helicopter attempting to land at the firebase. He was given the opportunity to leave with the other wounded but refused—choosing to stay at Kate to lead the remaining besieged troops.

By November 1 the NVA artillery had the base zeroed in and began pounding it with an ever-increasing number of rounds, turning Kate into what Albracht described as “an impact area, and no longer a functioning firebase.” As a result, helicopter support ended. That made the troops even more aware of their vulnerability and their mortality. On the morning of November 1 Albracht decided it was time to evacuate.

He and Pierelli drew up an escape-and-evasion plan, arranged for gunships to protect them as they left Kate, and explained carefully to the troops how they would link up with a Special Forces Mike Force detachment waiting for them in a concealed position about three miles away. Then they spiked their gun tubes and destroyed the artillery ammunition, records, code books, and anything else the NVA might find useful. No American soldiers were left at Kate. Many of the men would later say that they owed their lives to Capt. William Albracht and Sgt. Daniel Pierelli.