Medal of Honor
FREEMAN,
ED W.
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
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 this month at the age of 80, in
......May God rest his soul.....
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Rank and organization: Captain,
U.S. Army, Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion,
First Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
Place and date: Ia Drang
Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965
Born: 1928
Citation:
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, First 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 infantry 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 under-siege 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 experienced a 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 estimates 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.