Ed Freeman

[mcantar18c]

You're a 19 year old kid.

You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in
the Ia Drang Valley .


November 11, 1965.


LZ X-ray , Vietnam .



Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy
fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away,
that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the
MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns
and you know you're not getting out.
Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles
away, and you'll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this
is the day.

Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear
that sound of a helicopter.
You look up to see an unarmed Huey. But ... it doesn't
seem real because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.

Ed Freeman is coming for you.

He's not Medi-Vac so it's not his job, but he's flying
his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.
He's coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun
fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the
doctors and nurses.
And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!

He took about 30 of you and your buddies out who would
never have gotten out.



Medal of Honor Recipient,
Ed Freeman, died last
Wednesday at the age of 80, in Boise , Idaho .
May God Rest His Soul.


I bet you didn't hear about this hero's
passing, but we've sure
seen a whole bunch about Michael Jackson . . .




Medal of Honor Winner
Ed Freeman

 

[5-90]

True heroes never die. See you at Final Muster, Ed!

 

[Frank Z]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/freeman.asp

 

[Hypoid]

Yeah, I know, it's Wiki. Still, it's a hell of a read and gives enough information to find other depictions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ia_Drang

 

[5-90]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/freeman.asp

Per Snopes - "Mixture of True and False Information."

The fact does remain - Ed Freeman is a true American hero in the most honest sense of the word - not like the athletes and suchlike that kids are looking up to these days.

Part and parcel of heroism is a great personal risk of injury or death - and doing the job anyhow. The firemen who charged up the steps in the WTC were heroes in the truest sense of the word. The little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike is a hero - and probably doesn't even know it.

Took him 32 years to get his Gong - you know he deserved it!

 

[Yucca-Man]

FREEMAN, ED W.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion,

First Cavalry Division (Airmobile)


Place and date: Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965

Born: 1928

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November, 1965, while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at landing zone X-ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition, after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone, due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the underseige battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area, due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life- saving evacuation of an estimates 30 seriously wounded soldiers, some of whom would not have survived, had he not acted.All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

============================================
Out-damn-standing, Captain! :salute:

Jim
www.yuccaman.com

(Edited to add: Nobody wins the Medal - it is earned, and most are paid for in blood.)