True Courage

[MBass300]

I'm sure many of you have seen already seen this this email, but for those who haven't, it deserves reading:


You're a 19 year old kid.

You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .

It's November,11 1965.

LZ (landing zone) X-ray.

Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 yards
away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac 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 half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them gain.

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 a Huey coming in. But ... It doesn't seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.

He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs 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 3 of you
at a time on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses
and safety.

And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!! Until all the wounded were out.

He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, died last Wednesday (August, 2008) at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho ..

May God Bless and 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,Tiger Woods and Jesse James.


Medal of Honor
Winner Captain Ed Freeman

Shame on the American media !!!

 

[kraigWY]

Re: True Courage

it was in 1965, not in 67, and he was ARMY, NOT AIR FORCE. But yes Freeman is on my list as one of the greatest heros of all times.

In Nov 03, I met my wife at Walter Reed when she was medivaced back from the ME. I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Galloway (the reporter who was with the 1st Cav and author of "We Were Soldiers") who was having a book signing for the wounded from Iraq/Afgan. I was just a has been family member,but he still gave me an autographed copy of We Were Soldiers. We had a brief conversation about Freeman (and others), The citation does not do Cpt Freeman justice.

That wasnt Galloway's only party, he later did a stint with the 101st. We had a simular incident on Mar 10th, 68, where as we couldnt get medivacs, but the slicks kept flying, kicking off ammo and loading up wounded.

I'm just a grunt, but we ow a lot to all those "slick" pilots, Freeman stands out above the rest, like I said, the citation does not do him justice.

God Bless Freeman and all the "slick" pilots that followed his example.

 

[MBass300]

Re: True Courage

Thanks. I corrected the date and branch of service. There was also a reference in the email to him having been shot several time, but I couldn't find any other documentation of this, so I omitted that part, as I don't believe His story needs any "embelishment". If someone knows this to be true, please let me know and I will put it back in.

 

[ballsdeep]

Re: True Courage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I'm just a grunt, but we ow a lot to all those "slick" pilots, Joe Freeman stands out above the rest, like I said, the citation does not do him justice.

</div></div>

You may "just" be a grunt however all of us owe you a huge salute and a Huge thank you....

 

[Mosdet]

Re: True Courage

RIP Captain

There is discipline in A Soldier
you can see it when he walks,
There is honor in A Soldier
you hear it when he talks.
There is courage in A Soldier
you can see it in his eyes,
There is loyalty in A Soldier
that he will not compromise.
There is something in A Soldier
that makes him stand apart,
There is strength in A Soldier
that beats from his heart.
A Soldier isn't a title any man
can be hired to do,
A Soldier is the soul of that man
buried deep inside of you.
A Soldier's job isn't finished after
an 8 hour day or a 40 hour week,
A Soldier is always A Soldier
even while he sleeps.
A Soldier serves his country first
and his life is left behind,
A Soldier has to sacrifice what
comes first in a civilian's mind.
If you are civilian -
I am saying this to you.....
next time you see A Soldier
remember what they do.
A Soldier is the reason our land
is 'Home of the free',
A Soldier is the one that is brave
protecting you and me.
If you are A Soldier -
I am saying this to you.....
Thank God for EVERY SOLDIER
Thank God for what YOU do!


Poem by: TY bohls

 

[chris223]

Re: True Courage

R.I.P Captain Freeman
and thanks to everyone else who was there .

 

[Guest]

Re: True Courage

I'm sorry I doubted you, Semour.
Good post!

 

[High Binder]

Re: True Courage

Good chain letter bud! Thanks for the hassle you went through to get that posted

 

[MBass300]

Re: True Courage

Tucker and Shot in the Dark,
No problem guys,I know there's a lot of crap foating around out there, and a lot of it finds it's way onto the forum.
I'm pretty new here and I've noticed it, so I can imagine how much you guys have seen. It must be like "Remington vs Savage"
or "Anybody heard of Counter Sniper scopes?"
I was never in the military, and Viet Nam was before my time, so this is the first I'd heard of Capt Freeman's story.
I know a lot of guys on here are familiar with him and others like him, or have already seen this Email, but for those that don't/ haven't I thought it would be appreciated.
This is the kind of thing the schools should teach about in history class. I think our country would be a better place if kids grew up idolizing the "Captain Freemans" instead of the rappers, pop stars and ball players.