Louie Albanese (in Italian Luigi) was born in Cornedo Vicentino – Vicenza, Italy, graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington. He briefly worked for Boeing before joining the Army on 26 October 1965. He received basic training with B Co 1st Bn 11th Inf at Fort Carson, Colorado and was sent to Vietnam in August 1966 as part of the 7th Cavalry attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. In December 1966, while on patrol in the Republic of Vietnam with Company B of the 5th Battalion, his unit received heavy fire from concealed enemy positions. During an attempted encirclement of the platoon by the Vietnamese forces, Albanese fixed a bayonet to his weapon and charged the enemy positions. Upon arriving and momentarily silencing the enemy fire, Albanese discovered that the ditch he had charged was a well entrenched position. He continued 100 metres through the position, killing at least eight enemy snipers despite running out of ammunition and being forced to fight hand to hand, and being mortally wounded.

His actions enabled his unit to advance further, and he posthumously received the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his family at the Pentagon by Secretary of the Army Stanley Rogers Resor on February 16, 1968. He is buried in Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Seattle Washington and his name is found on Panel 12E, Row 131 of the Vietnam War Memorial. In 2014 in his native country town Cornedo Vicentino in Italy was named after a street in his name (Italian).