Description
Vietnam War US Army Special Forces Officer’s SEIKO 6105-8000 Dive Watch documented to Green Beret Captain William “Hawk” Albracht. Photos posted are of Captain Albracht wearing his Seiko in Vietnam.
This watch was worn through two combat tours in Vietnam. Obtained from Captain Albracht who had the watch serviced and cleaned prior to selling it to me. The watch in its current condition is as shown with a new crystal. He had engraved his initials on the case back when he purchased it.
A brief account of some of his combat history is posted below. Do a Google search for more details of his career and time in combat. His service record is stellar.
In October 1969, Albracht, the youngest Green Beret captain in Vietnam, took command of a remote hilltop outpost near the Cambodian border called Firebase Kate held by just a few American soldiers and indigenous Montagnard militiamen. The base was attacked the next day at dawn by North Vietnamese Army regiments.
Outnumbered, Albracht’s men held off the assault. After several days, they were out of ammo.
Refusing to die or surrender, Albracht led his troops off the hill and on a daring night march through enemy lines arriving at Camp Bu Prang.
“They thought we were the walking dead,” he said of the response upon their arrival. “Nobody, I mean nobody, but nobody, thought we would ever get through that night, but we did.”
This is the actual radio traffic from the early morning of October 31, 1969 from Firebase Kate between the ground commander and the Spooky gunships orbiting the base. Call sign Chickenhawk is Captain Bill Albracht, the commander of the base, while he is leading his small group of Americans and Montagnards to the relative safety of another Firebase through the 6,000 North Vietnamese soldiers who had laid siege to the firebase for four days.
