THE WALL OF FACES

Lt Albritton was leading a platoon in "A" Co, 1/28th, I was in "B" Co just behind him when we encountered a large enemy force making an escape from Saigon down the main road in Tu Duc. I was there when he fell from enemy fire. He was one of the best friends I had during that war. He cared for his men and during previous engagements he would always look me up just to check on my wellbeing. What a great and brave warrior he was.
Dennis J Harman, "B" Co 1/28 "Black Lions" Regiment, April 67 - 68.

As I get older, I find myself thinking of you more and more. I remember you and me Christmas, 1967, the last time I saw you.

On the evening of January 31, 1968, reports of large enemy movements around the hamlet of An My, about one mile northwest of the airstrip at Phu Loi Base Camp north of Saigon, RVN, were received by 1st Infantry Division commanders. For the next two days, a task force consisting of infantrymen from 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment (“Black Lions”), the battalion reconnaissance platoon, and firepower from B Troop, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment ACAVs, a tank platoon and a platoon of M42 Dusters, fought the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) at An My. The American combined-arms task force consisted of about 300 men and took on two NVA regiments. The armored vehicles led the assault with the Black Lions troopers on each side. The M48A3 Patton tanks, Dusters, and ACAVs supplied tremendous firepower, but also drew a large amount of enemy fire. 1LT Kenneth H. Albritton, a platoon leader from Alpha Company,1/28, climbed on one of the tanks to direct its fire, crouching beside the turret while gesturing to the tank commander. As he started to jump off the tank, he was wounded by an enemy round. Alpha Company’s senior medic immediately rendered aid. Albritton sustained a chest wound and was evacuated by helicopter with other wounded. A rifleman with A-1/28 saw the tank with Albritton as he advanced into An My’s small village. He noticed movement behind a tree about 20 meters ahead and then saw Albritton take a round. While others were attending to him, the rifleman focused on the tree. He saw a dark shape come up out of the ground with a rifle and fired a short burst. The figure went down. As he moved forward, he saw a spider hole with a black pajama-clad body half out. Albritton had been avenged. Later that night, the company received word that Albritton had died. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for his actions that day. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Tet: ‘All Hell Is Breaking Loose’…Black Lions at An My” at history.net]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. Your name will live forever through the naming of a school after you.

First Lieutenant Kenneth Hosea Albritton, Served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.