Sabalauski entered the Army in June 1941. During
World War II, he served in the
Pacific theater, fighting on the beachheads of the
Solomon Islands,
Guadalcanal, and the
Philippines. He later served in the
Korean War with the
187th Regimental Combat Team (
Airborne) and
25th Infantry Regiment. In 1963, Sabalauski went to
Vietnam for the first time, where he served as an
advisor to the 32nd Vietnamese Ranger Battalion. After service in the
Dominican Republic in 1965, he returned to Vietnam in 1966. It was during this tour that he fought his most memorable battle. Early in June 1966, Charlie Company, 2nd
Battalion,
502nd Infantry Regiment, was conducting a mission to locate elements of the 24th North Vietnamese Regiment. Charlie Company made contact with what was estimated to be a battalion-sized enemy force. Under heavy enemy fire and unable to maneuver, company commander Captain
William Carpenter called for
air strikes on his position in an attempt to force the enemy to withdraw. The enemy ceased fire long enough to allow Charlie Company to consolidate, reorganize and establish a position from which to defend and begin evacuation of wounded personnel. First Sergeant Sabalauski repeatedly placed himself at risk for the sake of his soldiers during this mission. For his extraordinary heroism in destroying the enemy and in evacuating the casualties, he received both the
Distinguished Service Cross and the
Silver Star. After his second tour in Vietnam, he returned to the
United States to serve as Command Sergeant Major of the United States Corps of Cadets at
West Point. In 1968, he again returned to Vietnam and the 2nd Battalion
502nd Infantry Regiment. His final assignment was as Command Sergeant Major of the 2nd Battalion,
508th Infantry Regiment of the
82nd Airborne Division at
Fort Bragg from November 1970 until his retirement from the Army on April 1, 1972. Command Sergeant Major Sabalauski's awards include the
Distinguished Service Cross,
Silver Star,
Legion of Merit, 8
Bronze Stars, 3
Air Medals, 6
Army Commendation Medals, 4
Purple Hearts, 3 Awards of the
Combat Infantryman Badge, the
Master Parachutist Badge along with
campaign medals for service in
World War II,
Korea,
Dominican Republic, and Vietnam.
Command Sergeant Major Sabalauski died in 1993 and was buried with full military honors in
Arlington National Cemetery. The
Sabalauski Air Assault School located in
Fort Campbell, Kentucky was renamed in his honor in 1994. ==Awards and decorations==