As the youngest Special Forces Captain in Vietnam, Bill 'Hawk' Albracht faced overwhelming odds at Firebase Kate, leading a daring escape after five brutal days under siege. His incredible leadership and courage in the jungle are legendary, and his story is immortalized in his memoir, "Abandoned in Hell: The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate."
After his time in combat, Bill served 25 years as a U.S. Secret Service Agent, protecting multiple U.S. Presidents and navigating the high-stakes world of national security.
In this episode, we dive deep into the intense battle at Firebase Kate and the brutal realities of jungle warfare, Bill's transition from Green Beret to the Secret Service and first-hand stories of protecting U.S. Presidents. Don’t miss this incredible conversation about survival, leadership, and service.
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#VietnamWar #SpecialForces #FirebaseKate #SecretService #MilitaryHistory
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
10:32 - Home Of The Blues Brothers - Growing Up in Rock Island, Illinois
18:41 - We're Going to 'Nam! - Officer Candidate School in 1966
38:56 - A Green Beret in Thailand - Special Operations in The '60s
43:37 - Welcome Home - My First Real-World Mission in Vietnam
54:43 - Abandoned in Hell - The Fight For Vietnam's Firebase Kate
01:08:16 - Why Do They Call You 'Hawk'? - Earning Callsigns in Combat
01:12:46 - Run Through The Dark - Escaping Firebase Kate Alive
01:29:04 - An Intense Five Days - Writing the Book 'Abandoned in Hell'
01:38:01 - The Blue Badge of Courage - Impact Awards from Firebase Kate
01:53:04 - My Other OTHER Purple Heart - Awards & Additional Action In Country
02:01:02 - Survivors Guilt - Getting Sent Back Stateside
02:14:14 - Leaving With Honor - How Foreign Policy Shaped The War
02:19:59 - Do You Want To Go Back? - Revisiting Firebase Kate in 2024
02:31:03 - Unemployed At 22 - Catching Counterfeits at the Secret Service
02:48:04 - Additional Detail - Protecting Presidents & Fieldwork
02:52:35 - Presidential Protection Detail - Working with Reagan & Bush
03:00:44 - Nick The Barbarian - Becoming a Father of Three
03:09:46 - Assassination Attempts - Regarding Current Secret Service Operations
03:17:35 - I'm Taken Care Of - Retirement at the Ford Motor Company
03:28:23 - What's Next?
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Support Captain Bill 'Hawk' Albracht -
Get Your Copy of Bill's Book 'Abandoned in Hell: The Fight For Vietnam's Firebase Kate' at https://www.amazon.com/Abandoned-Hell-Fight-Vietnams-Firebase/dp/0451468090
Website - https://www.captain-hawk.com/
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