This was just sent to me by a Proud Podcast Participant in Indianapolis. It must not go un-noticed:
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, 1967.
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 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 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. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.
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 Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise , Idaho
My Brother Geoff was there.
and this will never make a big news story as some celebrity that has died. Our society is really messed up in the things that it thinks are important and news worthy. I had a cousin in the Viet Nam war, he came home, but he was never the same. He would not tell us what happened.. he recieved many metals, but the part of him that made him “him” died over there…
Truly a hero. Truly a blessing and an angel. I love stories like this because it lets us know that love for another is ever-present, even in the face of danger. Did this man get recognition for his acts? You’re right Sheri — this death will never make the big news.
Was he a member of the American Legion? If so, then his story might be told.
Please tell your brother condolences and glad that because of Ed Freeman, he’s alive to tell about it. Glad your a podcast participant.
Re recognition, he did get many medals for his service, including the medal of honor and the purple heart. He actually died 3 or 4 years ago, at age 80, but at that time the news had more important things to tell us about such as Brittaney Spears meltdown and the like.
Betsy — I’m glad…. VERY glad.
Ed Freeman was a hero of the old mold – an amazing individual. However, he passed away on August 20, 2008. For those who would like to learn the rest of Ed’s story, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Freeman