RESIDENCE (DURING WWII):
Mayetta, Jackson County, Kansas
FULL NAME:
Albert Wahweotten
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER (ASN):
20725215
- DATE OF BIRTH: November 26, 1915
- DATE OF DEATH: November 27, 1972
DATE / PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:
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DATE OF ENLISTMENT:October 18, 1940
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PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:Holton, Jackson County Kansas
ORGANIZATION:
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MAIN UNIT:38th Infantry Regiment
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SUBUNIT:Company I, 3rd Battalion
RANK / POSITION IN UNIT (LAST KNOWN):
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RANK:Private First Class (Pfc.)
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POSITION IN UNIT:Rifleman
BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS:
✭ Normandy Campaign (6 June – 24 July 1944), ✭ Northern France Campaign (25 July – 14 September 1944), ✭ Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945), ✭ Rhineland Campaign (15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945), ✭ Central Europe Campaign (22 March – 11 May 1945)
DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS (AWARDS):
🎖Silver Star Medal
SUMMARY OF HIS SERVICE:
Albert Wahweotten was born on November 26, 1915 and he grew up in Mayetta, Kansas as a representative of Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation. On October 18, 1940 Albert Wahweotten joined the Army at the age of 25. As a typical representative of Neshnabé, how the Potawatomi call themselves, Albert got a nickname "Chief".
Pfc. Albert Wahweotten received the Silver Star from his commanding general, Walter M. Robertson, in February 1945. According to the citation, Pfc. Albert Wahweotten, armed with an M-1 rifle and a bazooka, worked his way 200 yards beyond the front lines to a house occupied by the enemy. In spite of heavy fire, he crawled to within ten yards of the house, which he set on fire with the bazooka. Then he went into the burning building and captured twelve Germans, eliminating the last enemy resistance in the town.
After returning home Albert Wahweotten received an honorable discharge and went back to his work.
On November 27, 1972 Albert apparently suffered a heart attack at the Topeka Goodyear Plant where he was employed and he was dead on arrival at a Topeka hospital.
