Private First Class Lewis Albanese, born Luigi Albanese, was not just a soldier—he was a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and the profound price of freedom. An Italian-born immigrant who made America his home, Albanese’s selfless actions in Vietnam earned him the United States military’s highest recognition: the Medal of Honor. His story, though tragically brief, is one of resilience, patriotism, and unshakable valor under fire.
Early Life and Struggles: Lewis Albanese was born on April 27, 1946, in Cornedo Vicentino, Vicenza, Italy. Like many post-war immigrants, his family sought better opportunities and a new life in the United States. Settling in Seattle, Washington, Albanese adapted to his new homeland with determination. He graduated from Franklin High School in 1964 and briefly worked at Boeing. Life was filled with typical young adult aspirations, but also underscored by the weight of responsibility that comes with forging a future in a foreign land.
Military Enlistment and Heroics: In October 1965, Albanese was drafted into the U.S. Army. He completed his basic training with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry at Fort Carson, Colorado. By August 1966, he was deployed to Vietnam, assigned to Company B, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, part of the storied 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Though young and newly trained, Albanese soon found himself in the thick of combat in one of the most challenging terrains and conflicts of the era.
Defining Moment: On December 1, 1966, while patrolling Binh Dinh Province in Vietnam, Albanese’s platoon came under intense automatic weapons fire from concealed enemy positions. Amid the chaos and in a critical moment, he was assigned to cover the unit’s vulnerable left flank. Realizing the imminent threat posed by enemy snipers hidden in a fortified ditch, Albanese took decisive action.
He fixed his bayonet and charged into the trench. In an incredible feat of courage, he fought through 100 meters of the enemy position, killing eight North Vietnamese soldiers—six with his rifle and bayonet and two in hand-to-hand combat after running out of ammunition. He was mortally wounded in the process, but his actions saved the lives of many in his unit and enabled their continued advance.
Post-War Life and Career: Lewis Albanese’s journey ended in that battlefield trench, just 20 years old. He never returned to Seattle, never resumed his life at Boeing or saw the years of adulthood he fought so valiantly to protect for others. While he didn’t live to see the peace that eventually followed, his name and legacy endured through his family, his unit, and the nation he served.
His remains rest at Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park in Seattle, Washington—a quiet resting place for a young man who knew only noise and fire in his final moments. In 2014, his hometown in Italy honored his sacrifice by naming a street after him—an enduring testament from the country of his birth to the hero he became in the country he adopted.
Military Awards and Decorations: For his heroic sacrifice, Lewis Albanese was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, presented to his family on February 16, 1968, by Secretary of the Army Stanley Rogers Resor. His name is engraved on Panel 12E, Row 131 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Other military honors included:
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The Purple Heart
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National Defense Service Medal
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Vietnam Service Medal
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Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
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Combat Infantryman Badge
Private First Class Lewis Albanese lived a life defined not by its length, but by its impact. His actions on the battlefield represent the pinnacle of bravery and selflessness, the kind of gallantry that stands the test of time. Though he fell in the jungles of Vietnam, his memory lives on—in the grateful hearts of Americans, in the stone of memorials, and in the quiet echo of a bayonet charge that saved a platoon. His is a legacy of honor, courage, and love for a country he chose to call his own.