Don't know if this is right for DU. As a vet I feel it is.

[GiveMeFreedom]

A friend emailed me this and I would have never known. I never meet the man, but MOH winners are a very special kind of unsung, unselfish, true human being.
As we go through our daily grind, we forget who are true heroes are, most of them are not in Washington.


WE ARE FREE TODAY, AND LIVE WITH UNSUNG HEROS ALL AROUND US



Ed Freeman


<>
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 sure have seen a whole bunch about Tiger Woods..!

Medal of Honor Winner Ed Freeman

Shame on the media !!!

Now ... YOU pass this along on YOUR mailing list.
Please..

[dkf]

1. Hero indeedy.

Thanks.

[bluesbassman]

2. Thanks for sharing this.

RIP Ed Freeman.

[sabrina 1]

3. K&R

:patriot: :patriot:

[driver8]

4. Thanks for posting this.

This post DEFINITELY belongs on DU!!

[ornotna]

5. Ed Freeman is a true hero

May he rest in peace.


But he died in 2008.

Ed W. "Too Tall" Freeman (November 20, 1927 - August 20, 2008)

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





Edit to add link

[GiveMeFreedom]

10. Thanks, did not know that either,

Just got this today, It only took two years for me to find out. Something to think about.

[denbot]

6. Of course this is right for DU, there are many more veterans here, then freepland.

Bravo Zulu Edward Freeman, Thank you from a grateful nation, rest in peace

[Arctic Dave]

8. Bravo Zulu indeed. n/t

[KT2000]

7. A hero for sure

what an amazing human being.

Thanks for posting this.

[The River]

9. Aye - Aye nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

11. Thanks for sharing this. I hadn't heard. I read about Mr. Freeman years ago.

RIP, Mr. Freeman, Sir.

This veteran (small v) pales in the shadow of Veterans such as yourself.

Wanton disregard for your own safety in the face of extreme adversity drove you to save the lives of others at a time when they had probably resigned themselves to an agonizing death. Your act defines Heroism in an age when many people use the word Hero in a way that cheapens the spirit of the word and dishonors the value of the kind of Valor you have shown.

RIP, Sir.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

12. Veterans check in...

this thread is from 2008 (first one that popped up in my search).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4438283

[ddeclue]

13. Umm.. he was "sung" don't you remember the movie and book "We Were Soldiers"?

w. Mel Gibson in the lead role? It came out in 2002.

[11 Bravo]

36. Not exactly sung. Hal Moore, Joe Galloway, and Snake Crandall were the protagonists of the film.

"Too Tall" Freeman was a peripheral character.

[readmoreoften]

14. Noting courageous acts by common Americans are more than appropriate in any pro-democracy forum.

Not only appropriate, necessary. (Hell, it ain't gonna be done anywhere else.)

[unhappycamper]

15. Yea, tho I walk through the Valley of Death

I shall fear no evil.
For I am the evilist motherfucker in the Valley.

RIP Ed.

[flyarm]

16. I remember hearing about Mr Freeman many many years ago..May he rest in peace.

a peace he earned.

RIP...to a true hero!

[lonestarnot]

17. I love a real hero!

Thanks for sharing! :patriot:

[sufrommich]

18. A true unsung hero. RIP ,Mr.Freeman nt

[blondeatlast]

19. Womderful. Thank you for sharing this. nt

[peekaloo]

20. K&R

:patriot:

[Frank Cannon]

21. Thanks for that.

I was not aware of this gentleman's story. Godspeed, Mr. Freeman. :patriot:

[H2O Man]

22. Recommended.

It's good, for DU and/or anywhere else. Thanks.

[UTUSN]

23. The deeds stand on their own, that's fine. The medals should NOT be used for political views.

Specifically, when six or seven Medal of Honor holders were cynically used as props on Shrub's stage before the cameras during Coup 2000. The dudes were dressed up in their VFW or other caps and with their medals.

The medals were theirs, not for giving legitimacy to Shrub.

Ex-senator Phil "ENRON" Gramm routinely would use veterans for his partisan Rethug purposes: A veteran or somebody on the vet's behalf would contact GRAMM's office for the EASY ROUTINE of securing medals for the vet that had never been issued. The procedure can be accomplished by most people by themselves or through veterans' organizations, but this is irresistable for scumbag politicians, who can get a tear jerking media op out of it when they make a presentation ceremony out of it.

Evem that would be all right. But ENRON-GRAMM took it a step further: Instead of holding the ceremony at a vets organization post or a county/public office, he held these things at the local RETHUG PARTY HEADQUARTERS!1

Now. Veterans have every right to political expression AFTER they leave the military. But using their decorations this way is DEGRADING the decorations.

In 2000 I called the Medal of Honor association and VFW and American Legion headquarters to complain about this.

[Obamanaut]

24. Ed Freeman passed away in August, 2008. This email started

around the time of Michael Jackson's passing.

From the email that is sent around, pasted in the OP: “Medal of Honor Recipient, Ed Freeman, died last Wednesday at the age of 80, in Boise , Idaho .”

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

It is good that we remember and honor men and women like this, but accuracy is good also. There were other MOH winners in that very same action.

[Fumesucker]

25. This definitely belongs here.. Recced..

:patriot:

[tango-tee]

26. RIP, Mr. Freeman

K&R.

[pipi_k]

27. Gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes...thank you for sharing n/t

[tavalon]

28. An honorable man

This seems to be a week for the passing of honorable men.

[pleah]

29. K&R

:patriot:

[nilram]

30. damn. We should have a Medal of HIGHEST Honor!

[Canuckistanian]

31. Thanks for posting that

The true heroes never get the ticker-tape parades.

RIP, Ed Freeman.

[icee]

32. Thank you, Mr. Freeman.................

[era veteran]

33. RIP & Thanks Ed

[11 Bravo]

34. Bruce Crandall and Walt Marm also earned a CMH at X-Ray.

Heroes all. Rest in Peace, "Too Tall".

[tilsammans]

35. Most definitely K&R!

RIP, Mr. Freeman. And thank you. :patriot:

[HBravo]

37. Thank God for MEN like Too Tall! nt

[rasputin1952]

38. RIP Ed...

In the Early Morning Rain,
Another Soldier died today,
each must go his own way,
In the Early Morning Rain.

Heroes have walked among us, we never knew most of them, they moved quietly through our lives with the full knowledge that most of us might have a faint idea of the action that made them heroes, whether military or civilian, but we could never put a face to the individual act.

I want to put a face to this man:




The Citation:

CAPTAIN ED W. FREEMAN
UNITED STATES ARMY

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, of Boise, Idaho, who 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 because of intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his 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, by providing the engaged units with supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, directly affected the battle's outcome. Without them the units would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area because of intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing lifesaving 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 and extraordinary perseverance 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.



http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html

:patriot:

[Libertas1776]

39. It's always right for DU

RIP Captain Freeman, you will not be forgotten. :patriot:

[ColesCountyDem]

40. Proud vet K & R! n/t

[unabelladonna]

41. true heros

who are placed in circumstances we can only imagine.

[democrank]

42. K & R

Rest in peace, Ed Freeman.

[winyanstaz]

43. As a vietnam war hero's widow...I thank you and our family thanks you.

My husband had a chest full of medals and a purple heart and saved his men time after time after time....
He also found a several million dollars worth of stolen military equipment for the Navy as well...
But he was never in the news either.
He was a swift boat commander and served two terms honorably.
And yet we are bombarded day after day about who is screwing who....
Thank you Ed Freeman for your bravery and your courage and your dedication to your nation. R.I.P.

[riverbendviewgal]

44. He was a hero.

He helped save many lives. and he should be honored and remembered.

This moonlit night is bringing me many thoughts of those I know and didn't know who died.
My son, my husband, my dad. and friends who died in Viet Nam,
and even those who I didn't know personally but respected greatly.

I was reading a magazine tonight and there is a an article of a man who died recently and a song he wrote and sung
The words are beautiful and they are for all of us to remember because we will all be going into the night.

It is called ARE YOU READY.
listen.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/28/are-you-ready/

[grantcart]

45. wish I could give it 13 recs

[ooglymoogly]

46. Of course this is right for DU...these folks

understand and feel and know what a hero is and Ed Freeman was a true hero and now he is truly free. KR nt

[Goldstein1984]

47. Heroes of every kind pass every day while people wander

in a fog of popular culture.

[gimama]

48. thank YOU, & thank You, ED. nt

[Shell Beau]

49. I've never heard of this man, so even if he did die in 2008, I am

so moved by this. Such a wonderfully brave man. His story should be heard far more than it is.

[proteus_lives]

50. Thanks for this.

My dad is a combat vet of Vietnam and he said brave 'copter pilots saved his bacon more than once.

RIP and Godspeed Ed Freeman.

:patriot:

[DesertDiamond]

51. I am totally crying right now. Thanks to Ed Freeman on behalf of all the soldiers he saved...

and all the families who didn't lose a loved one that day. Oh, I am in awe of this man!

[snowshadow]

52. Ed Freeman A True Hero

Just as the men and women that are in Iraq and Afghanistan today. :patriot: