Hero few know of.

Off-Topic Off Topic - Militaria
#1

MOH Citation

CAPTAIN ED W. FREEMAN
UNITED STATES ARMY

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

Well, why would we?

A brainless ‘celebrity’ whose primary claim to fame is being spawned from scum and extolling that barren heritage in dumb fuck doof doof music in a useless life interspersed with occasionally stabbing some poor bastard while full of nose candy and going into rehab at the first sign of trouble is a modern hero.

#2

OOOPS!

Owing to a stunningly stupid action by a stunningly stupid mod (who, and I’m not admitting to anything, could be me :frowning: ) tankgeezer’s original post which started this thread but isn’t there now due to a stunningly stupid action by a stunningly stupid mod who could be, well, actually, probably could be - okay definitely is - me, has gone missing (that is, TG’s starting post which was different to the first post you see above because a certain mod - yeah, well, me got it all fucked up and TG isn’t responsible for anything apart from registering as a member of this forum)

So I am profoundly sorry for pressing the all powerful mod Edit button instead of the Quote button which normal mortals have to use. Although it’s not the first time I’ve done it, so I am a confirmed fuckwit. :frowning:

If TG would like to post the originial article again to give some sense to this thread which I have rendered largely insensible, that would be nice.

Also, the first post in this thread is mine, but somehow is under TG’s name.

And, TG, I am just so fucking sorry for fucking up your thread. :oops:

#3

Fear not my friend,all is forgiven, I’ll post it again. I once pushed the wrong button at the Edinburgh airport baggage checkin, and had people all over my luggage looking for the thing “someone” had given me to take along… One of my many “DUH” moments…(I cant even blame Guinness)

#4

For your Delectation, and amazement, here is my original post.

Ed Freeman

You’re a 19 year old kid. You’re critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965 , 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, and you look up to see an un-armed 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, 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… And 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 , ID …May God rest his soul…

I bet you didn’t hear about this hero’s passing, but we sure were told a whole bunch about some Hip-Hop Coward beating the crap out of his “girlfriend”

#5

Thanks.

It was very kind of you.

Although I was merely apologising for a stuff up, not for anything which might cause the appalliing spectre of Scots, being a well known crowd of kilted brigands, rummaginig through people’s luggage. :smiley:

#6

they did quite well too, until they found my jockey’s, seemed to have no idea what they were,:smiley:

#7

Very nice post, but wasn’t he featured in the film “We Were Soldiers?”

No. My mistake, that was another heroic pilot named Maj. Bruce Crandell…

#8

very nice story, worth my time and thought

Thanks TG

#9

Many Many Thanks, TG.

May Captain Freeman MoH, Rest Well, Rest Honoured.

“They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun, we will remember them,
We Will Remember Them.”
(Laurance Binyon.)

These words are said every ANZAC Day, April 25th, in Australia and New Zealand, to Honour the Fallen of the conflicts our Service personnel have been involved in. April 25th is our equivalent of Veteran’s Memorial Day in the USA.

Respectful Regards, Uyraell.