Moment of silence for a hero.....

w30wcf · Post by **w30wcf** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:07 pm

As we approach Thanksgiving , this is who we give thanks to the Almighty for each day! The irony was that he understood the scarifies all FREE MEN face, ……he was even named accordingly!

You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, 11-14-1965. LZ Xray , 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 a 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, Idaho ......May God Give Rest To His Soul.....

V/R Jim Coleman VERITAS Sector Chair

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:11 pm

AMEN !

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:17 pm

May he rest in peace.

Hungarian · Post by **Hungarian** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:23 pm

God bless him.

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:38 pm

Rest in Peace, sir.

Think I'll pop in "We Were Soldiers" and watch it in his honor.

Scott

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:44 pm

Thanks,

deserving honour

1894cfan · Post by **1894cfan** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:48 pm

He saw his duty, and he did it. RIP with no more flashbacks or nightmares!

It's too bad there's no Smilies with a hand salute.

Hagler · Post by **Hagler** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:52 pm

1894cfan,

For you, and our hero in question:

May GOD smile on that man!

Shawn

pharmseller · Post by **pharmseller** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:00 pm

In light of what we face these days, it's hard to imagine men like him and his bravery.
Mr. Freeman, here's to you and men like you...danged few left!

P

Jaguarundi · Post by **Jaguarundi** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:29 pm

Yes a moment of misty eye tight throat reverance,Rest in peace old soldier

!

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:55 pm

A rare man indeed, and his type are few! God has a special place for men like Ed. Thanks for posting this.-Vall

GEOFF · Post by **GEOFF** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 1:30 am

Yep, thanks for posting that. I've met a few men like Mr. Freeman, members of my dad's old WW2 outfit the 3ID and when I think I'm having a bad day all I have to do is think of them and I'm inspired. May his legacy live on!!

Geoff

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 1:48 am

Silence observed in reflection and honor of this great hero.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:27 am

Prayers sent and silence observed for a true Hero.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:07 am

Thanks for posting, got damp eyes now, may he rest in peace.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:07 am

i have something in my eye - happens all the time when I read of the loss of one who was willing to give his last full measure for others. I am grateful this day for the past and present service of you on this forum who whether in this land or some foreign soil, have forsaken your self in service for others. Blessings to this gentleman, long may his legacy last. And blessings to you all

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:30 am

One heck of an American hero....
We need more like him....

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:42 am

We were just watching a 'war' movie last night and discussing why men do 'heroic' things - the family conclusion was that men (and women) are strongly programmed socially to do what is right, and will do things like rescue soldiers, pull people out of burning buildings, or whatever.

Unfortunately, judging by the 'leaders' our nation has been electing, the business dealings which we accept on the part of the unions and large corporations in bed with those political leaders, and the large crop of people on every form of welfare you can imagine, too lazy to work or even get any kind of education, it appears there may not be as many REAL 'men' out there as in the past.

Our society needs to get back on course, because without ordinary, everyday heros, there will be nobody to get out of bed and go to work when they are tired, have a sore back, or feel defeated. Nobody to scrape together a meal for the kids when there's not much food. And definitely nobody to rescue wounded soldiers.

On a more positive note, one good thing about the 'gun' community is that they are generally NOT the lazy parasite or crooked politician types. We just have to be sure to raise our kids to carry on the traditions of being the kid who can be heroic if need be.

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:00 am

Does anyone know the scoop on the MoH process in this case? What took so long for he and his boss Crandall to receive their Medals??? I believe they both only received them last year!!!

Scott

WCF3030 · Post by **WCF3030** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:06 am

Hagler wrote:1894cfan,

For you, and our hero in question:

May GOD smile on that man!

Shawn

Rest in peace.

Hairy Clipper · Post by **Hairy Clipper** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:57 am

I found this on the White House website...If I do this correct there should be a link to more details...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases ... 716-1.html

The MoH Citation is found here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Freeman

RIP Ed Freeman

Hairy

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:27 am

It is accounts like this that I wish every highschool student had to study. Men like Ed Freeman are REAL heros. They command the highest respect, they inspire others to courageous deeds and they represent the noblest of humanity both in character and in deed.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:41 am

RIP...

slimster · Post by **slimster** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 12:54 pm

I am extremely saddened by the loss of this fine man, but today is a day to give thanks to the Lord. Before I give thanks for any feast today, I first want to thank Him for giving us this man, putting him at the right place at the right time to save countless lives, and to see him and his "cargo" safely through their ordeals, so that he and others could make it safely back to their families. Amen. Goodby hero and rest in peace.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 1:00 pm

I wish I had the words to express my respect and gratitude to such a gentleman and true Hero.

John,
Thank you for reminding us that there are much larger things to be thankful for.

jason

Rexster · Post by **Rexster** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 6:50 pm

Amen! Rest in Peace.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:08 am

Amen indeed!

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:08 pm

We stand in the shadows of those who have come before us and try to live up to their examples.

Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Mustang 22 · Post by **Mustang 22** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:15 pm

Gary Owen Sir..

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:10 pm

Thank you for posting this, why can't our young people be told of these men?

HORACE · Post by **HORACE** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:32 am

A lovely courageous man; we need more like him.

His unselfish actions remind me on another man I've read about called 'Simpson' in a distant but just as deadly war.

http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/afor/afor-s.html

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:38 am

Wow! Job well done. Safely home.

dwight · Post by **dwight** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:35 am

my kind of hero...

--Dwight

nemhed · Post by **nemhed** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:09 pm

God bless him and keep him

.

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:03 pm

Thanks God for all you vets!!! America produces heros like him and they give the Nobel Prize to Gore for Global Warming. God help our country.

JustaJeepGuy · Post by **JustaJeepGuy** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:26 am

The Nobel Prize comes out of Sweden. Al probably wonders why it took so long....

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:23 pm

Certainly "Too Tall" deserves it. And thank God the President saw to it that he received it when he was still able to. I hope Dick Winters gets his in a timely manner as well. jd45

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:27 pm

jd45 wrote:I hope Dick Winters gets his in a timely manner as well. jd45

I don't necessarily disagree, but I'm curious as to what action you think he deserves it for.

Scott

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:23 pm

Commanding the attack force & actively participating in knocking out the 4 105 howitzer emplacements on D-Day that had the beach zeroed from Brecourt Manor, which was inland somewhat, thus saving countless Allied lives. He was put in for it by the 506th PI Regimental commander, Colonel Sink, but it was downgraded to a Distinguisged Service Cross because, as I understand it, they weren't being too generous handing them out & someone else in the 101st Airborne Division, of which he was a member, had gotten one ahead of him. jd45

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:40 pm

Yep, that was definitely an impressive feat, especially when you consider it was effectively his first day on the job and he was by no means a seasoned combat vet at that point. I believe they still teach that engagement at West Point as small unit tactics perfection.

Scott

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:05 am

Agreed. Well, I signed the petition on the Major Dick Winters website to have his DSC up-graded to CMoH. Hope it happens before he passes. You know, I have to thank Tom Hanks & Steve Spielburg...........I don't think I would ever have known about this if it weren't for their HBO series "Band of Brothers", which later led me to read Ambrose's book as well. We owe Dick & many more like him a great debt for the freedoms we enjoy. jd45

piller · Post by **piller** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 10:29 am

(While Saluting) All the way and then some, Sir!