BuffettNews.com

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:42 pm**

A BROTHER

My friends remember him for he had stones..and was a man!

This is the one they called "Snake s***". I am sure God has a better name for him now. It is a privilege to breath the same air on the same planet with this man. They were Soldiers once .... And young. SORRY NO PICTURE.

Ed Freeman

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, ID......May God rest his soul.....

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:43 pm**

Sail on Ed!!!!!! Thanks you for your honor and service!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:44 pm**

Sail on, Sir.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:44 pm**

What a story, what a hero.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:45 pm**

Sail on Ed and thank you

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:46 pm**

Sail on Sir.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:48 pm**

Rest easy, Captain Freeman. Thank you.

Medal of Honor Citation
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.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 7:52 pm**

Wow. Sail on fine Sir. Thank you.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 8:05 pm**

Sail on, good man . . .

Posted: **September 8, 2008 8:20 pm**

A true HERO!! It makes us think.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 8:34 pm**

Sail on Ed....

Posted: **September 8, 2008 8:35 pm**

Sail on Sir and thank you for your service, and dedication to your country and fellow soldiers.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 8:44 pm**

Sail on, Sir. What a hero and a fine American.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 8:45 pm**

Valhalla welcomes another warrior.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Posted: **September 8, 2008 9:03 pm**

Sail on Sir and thank you.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 9:05 pm**

sail on

Posted: **September 8, 2008 11:05 pm**

God bless Captain Ed W. Freeman.

And may our country do honor to his memory.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 11:16 pm**

Sail on Sir, your story is a fine one.

Posted: **September 8, 2008 11:26 pm**

wow - just wow. Sail on Ed.

And for those interested in more reading.... lots more if you google.

http://www.mishalov.com/Freeman.html

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

Posted: **September 8, 2008 11:56 pm**

Sail on Capt. Freeman.

Here is an overview of the battle that Capt. Freeman earned his CMOH. If you have seen the movie We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson this the battle that Capt Freeman saved many lives at great risk to his own.

http://www.lzxray.com/overview.htm

BuffettNews.com

Sail on Ed....a True Hero

Sail on Ed....a True Hero

Sail on