MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT! SHAME ON THE MEDIA

[Dee]

YOUR A 19 YEAR OLD KID.
YOUR CRITICALLY WOUNDED AND DYING IN THE JUNGLE IN THE LA DRANG VALLEY.NOVEMBER 14, 1965
LZX-RAY, VIETNAM
YOUR INFANTRY UNIT IS OUTNUMBERED 8-1, AND THE ENEMY FIRES IS SO INTENSE, FROM 100 OR 200 YARDS AWAY,
THAT YOUR OWN INFANTRY COMMANDER HAS ORDERED THE MEDIVAC HELICOPTERS TO STOP COMING IN.
YOUR LYING THERE, LISTENING TO THE ENEMY MACHINE GUNS AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GETTIN OUT.
YOUR FAMILY IS HALF 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 THAT 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 THERE ARE NO MEDI-VAC MARKINGS ON IT.

ED FREEMAN IS COMING FOR YOU

HE'S NOT A MEDI-VAC, SO IT'S NOT HIS JOB, BUT HE'S FLYING HIS HUEY DOWN IN TO 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.

ED FREEMAN DIED LAST WEDNESDAY AT THE AGE OF 80 IN BOISE, IDAHO.
GOD BLESS ED FREEMAN
THE NEWS TOLD YOU ABOUT TIGER WOODS, BUT,DID THEY MENTION ED FREEMAN?            

Mr.Freeman Sir. I salute you and your memory.
Dee,                                                     

[myronman3]

a true american hero.  these are the men that were/are my heros. 

[subdjoe]

Not to diminish his heroism, but he fell asleep in the Lord back in August of 2008.

Here is the citation for his MoH:

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, 1st 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 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 besieged 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 gone down, with 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 estimated 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.

[ironglow]

  May God bless you, Ed...and shame upon the media...

[myronman3]

Not to diminish his heroism, but he fell asleep in the Lord back in August of 2008.

and what the hell is that supposed to mean?   if you come here and want to kick sand in the face of a CMH winner, expect to be challenged.  

[subdjoe]

Not to diminish his heroism, but he fell asleep in the Lord back in August of 2008.

and what the hell is that supposed to mean?   if you come here and want to kick sand in the face of a CMH winner, expect to be challenged.  

The original post made it seem as if he died very recently (

ED FREEMAN DIED LAST WEDNESDAY AT THE AGE OF 80 IN BOISE, IDAHO.

)when in fact it was about a year and a half ago.  On other fora I have been reviled as being unpatriotic or dismissive of a hero for pointing out something like that.  I think that getting the facts straight pays honor to the person. 


If I were trying "to kick sand in the face of a CMH winner" why would I have posted the citation from the award?  Buy the way, one doesn't 'win' it like a prize at a county fair.  It is bestowed by a grateful nation as a mark of high esteem for selfless service far above and beyond that which is normally expected.  To paraphrase your sentiment - if you seek to diminish the MoH to the level of a prize to be won, expect to be challenged.

[Dee]

myronman, I received this email from a usually reliable source and did not check it out as I usually do. It was worth posting, but putting the facts together as I now have after subdjoe's post, indicates that subdjoe is correct.
I personally had rather have the truth rather than a politically motivated fairy tail, and subjoe has given us the truth. In the future, I will check the story BEFORE, I rely on it as the truth and repeat it.
Thanks subdjoe. It's still a great story, but better to know the truth.
Dee,

[subdjoe]

Thanks, Dee. I had figured that you had recently received it via email.  As you recognized, I wasn't trying to knock you or Capt. Freeman, just make a small correction.

And it IS a very compelling story. A lone guy, telling the powers that be to stick it, he ain't gonna leave his buddies, even though he has never met them, there to die.  His Guardian Angle must have been having conniption fits that day.  Course, he like as not had a bunch of help from the GAs of all the grunts on the ground there, plus a whole bunch of patron saints pitching in.

myronman, I received this email from a usually reliable source and did not check it out as I usually do. It was worth posting, but putting the facts together as I now have after subdjoe's post, indicates that subdjoe is correct.
I personally had rather have the truth rather than a politically motivated fairy tail, and subjoe has given us the truth. In the future, I will check the story BEFORE, I rely on it as the truth and repeat it.
Thanks subdjoe. It's still a great story, but better to know the truth.
Dee,

[Dee]

Denying the truth, does not make it any less the truth. Thanks for the heads up.

[sk330lc]

Not to diminish his heroism, but he fell asleep in the Lord back in August of 2008.

and what the hell is that supposed to mean?   if you come here and want to kick sand in the face of a CMH winner, expect to be challenged.  

       He ment no disrespect !      He gave you the facts!  

[Buckskin]

Well just to help put good faith into the intent of the post.  I remember when Ed died in 08 and not a whole lot was mentioned in the news then either.  Although Fox News did a clip on him, but their just filled with hate and right-wingers.....

If everyone had 1/10 of what Ed Freeman had this Country would be in a hell of a lot better place.

[FourBee]

 

His Guardian Angle must have been having conniption fits that day.  Course, he like as not had a bunch of help from the GAs of all the grunts on the ground there, plus a whole bunch of patron saints pitching in.

Without a doubt, when our guys saw that chopper coming in that raised their spirits and they poured it on the enemy.   And as for those Guardian Angels.   When our Airmen went in to help curb a heavy ground assault on our guys, do you know what began to crack over our radios?   UFO sightings !   I'm not kidding....  Those pilots have to report each and every event of that nature, and when our troops were involved during airstrikes our radio contacts rocked with multiple sightings.  Coincidence  I think not.   Angels ??   What do you think ?

[myronman3]

subdjoe- i took your post as questioning the man's faith; i didnt realize what you meant by "fell asleep in the lord".    my apologies for the mis-interpetation. 

[alsaqr]

Major Freeman and several other pilots at Ia Drang did what medevac refused to do; fly into a hot LZ to pick up casualties. 

Freeman was one of 14 men out of an Engineer company of 257 who survived the opening battle of Pork Chop Hill in Korea.   He was awarded a battlefield commission for his herosim in that battle.     

Rest in Everlasting Peace, Major Ed Freeman.

[subdjoe]

subdjoe- i took your post as questioning the man's faith; i didnt realize what you meant by "fell asleep in the lord".    my apologies for the mis-interpetation. 

No problem.  Kind of amazed that you hadn't heard that phrase before. 

@ Buckskin - I hear you.  Our priorities are kind of screwed up.  Last summer when the King of Weird died, that overshadowed someone who SHOULD have had millions in the streets to mark his passing

Our hats off to an old soldier who just passed away. He was one of the millions of Americans who quietly answered his nations call and helped save the world.
Darrel "Shifty" Powers of the 101 st Airborne (Band of Brothers) has just gone to a better place and we are much the poorer for it.

If your not familiar with "Shifty", please rent Band of Brothers, it's an outstanding piece of film making and you will be acquainted with "Easy Company's" story and many of it's hero's.
Tom


This was originated by Maj Joe Sturtevant, USMC ret, VMO-6, 1st MAW, QTCB 68-69,

One of the "Band of Brothers" soldiers died on June 17, 2009.

We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services..

I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.

Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry.

If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne, or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.

Quietly and humbly, he said, "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . " at which point my heart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said, "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?"

At this point my heart stopped.

I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was and I know what D-Day was.

At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem."

I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.

I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said; "Yes. And it's real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know hat to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.

He said, "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade.

No big event in Staples Center.

No wall-to-wall, back-to-back, 24x7 news coverage.

No weeping fans on television.

And that's not right.

Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way.

Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially, to the veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.




" What this country needs is more unemployed politicians"
Edward Langley, Artist 1928-1995

[Elijah Gunn]

His Guardian Angle must have been having conniption fits that day.  Course, he like as not had a bunch of help from the GAs of all the grunts on the ground there, plus a whole bunch of patron saints pitching in.

Without a doubt, when our guys saw that chopper coming in that raised their spirits and they poured it on the enemy.   And as for those Guardian Angels.   When our Airmen went in to help curb a heavy ground assault on our guys, do you know what began to crack over our radios?   UFO sightings !   I'm not kidding....  Those pilots have to report each and every event of that nature, and when our troops were involved during airstrikes our radio contacts rocked with multiple sightings.  Coincidence  I think not.   Angels ??   What do you think ?

I believe that UFO sightings are either angels, demons, or possibly secret military aircraft. I think in the situation you describe it's guardian angels doing their duty!

[oldandslow]

Like Dee, I received the e-mail about Ed Freeman a few weeks ago and thought he had just passed on. Thanks to subdjoe we now know "the rest of the story". I also received the "Shifty" story about the same time. I have a brother-in-law who is retired Air Force and he passes these stories along.

[subdjoe]

Well, the only reason I caught it was the photo.  "Hey, I recognize that! Didn't he die a few years ago?"  So off I went to Google to check. I suspect that 10 years from now it will still be passed around as something current. Once they hit the internet they seem to stay forever, and no one bothers to edit them before starting the next round of email distribution. 

The point made, that the main stream media ignores our real heroes while holding up Mikey Jackson or Paris Hilton as role models, will still be valid though.

Like Dee, I received the e-mail about Ed Freeman a few weeks ago and thought he had just passed on. Thanks to subdjoe we now know "the rest of the story". I also received the "Shifty" story about the same time. I have a brother-in-law who is retired Air Force and he passes these stories along.

[jdinil]

What a wonderful man Mr. Freeman was! A REAL hero. Glad this story was posted. I don't remember seeing it before.

[myronman3]

....Last summer when the King of Weird died,  ...

never heard that one before, either; but i REALLY like that title. 

[steve y]

I hope it does show up again in ten years and every year for as long as our country exists to remind us that it takes men like him so we can have the life we have now. We owe him and everyone like him our eternal gratitude and all the prayers we can muster. It is a sad day when those who sacrificed so much for us pass without hardly any notice. Steve

[S.S.]

Men like these would probably rather pass with no fanfare.
True, unassuming heros.

[Bravo 51...Over]

Men like these would probably rather pass with no fanfare.
True, unassuming heros.
[/quote[quote author=S.S.

[Bravo 51...Over]

S.S.
You can usually tell the real ones from the phonies.  The true heroes rarely mention what they did and try to give credit to others who were with them.  I've had the privilege of knowing one CMH and two Navy Cross recipients and they were like that..."I didn't do anything different than anyone else". One Vietnam veteran site put in perspective "Thousands of acts of valor occurred every day, sadly only a few were recognized."  I was in tanks and when we started taking small arms fire, all I had to do was duck down.  Imagine going in to a hot LZ with only a thin aluminum skin surrounding you.  Doing it once is courageous but repeating it several times and coming out of it is truly a miracle and shows selfless dedication to those you serve with, even people you never meet but simply because they are your brothers in arms..  I know my guardian angel worked a lot of overtime as well.  To those that know, Semper Fi says it all.

[Oldshooter]

sudjow thanks for posting about Shifty, I had missed his passing. I only watch Band of Brothers when it is broadcast! EVERY damned time! ITs only a movie but its a movie about the Great Generation that sacrificed much so that we could be here today whining about corupt politicians and petty politics. God bless those men! we are loosing them by the thousands these days.

Major Freeman and several other pilots at Ia Drang did what medevac refused to do; fly into a hot LZ to pick up casualties. 

Freeman was one of 14 men out of an Engineer company of 257 who survived the opening battle of Pork Chop Hill in Korea.   He was awarded a battlefield commission for his herosim in that battle.     

Rest in Everlasting Peace, Major Ed Freeman.

Very nice alsaqr, I might be wrong but that is the first positive thing I have ever seen you post.

We must remember that there were a bunch of Pilots that did the brave thing but made the ultimate sacrifice for their trouble.

Maybe Our own Richard (AtlLaw) could shed some light there. He is one of my heroes, and he is still HERE to thank!