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 Medi-Vac 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 a 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"

Medal of Honor Winner
Ed Freeman!
Shame on the American Media


www.snopes.com/politics/military/freeman.asp

To all those men and women who went before him, to all those men and women who went with him, to all those men and women who will go after him.
He truly is an American hero. Thank you for sharin such a beautiful story.





U.S. Air Force Vet

Gary Owen..........

Cheers to Ed and all other vets... God bless you all.

Yes, I did hear about Ed's passing- from another Vet in the Patriot Guard Riders.

On a picky note, He didn't "Win" the CMH, he received it.

God Bless you, Ed. You offered the ultimate sacrifice, but the Lord said you still had work to do.





A 21 Toast Salute.

Sully
US Army vet
82-85 and 86-92

Things Worth Remembering

Of things felt worth remembering, my list is truly long
From moments of my childhood, to that last good book or song
The first things that I found I liked, and those liked not so well
My first attempts at trying things, the many times I failed

My first view of an ocean, and climbing my first tree
The little boy that lived next door, always teasing me
The first time I saw Santa, that first bright Christmas tree
The joy I felt to look beneath, and find a gift for me

The first day spent away at school, it seemed so far from home
Learning how to write my name, and reading my first poem
My first new box of crayons, and all the things I drew
The smile I put on mommy's face, when saying "IT'S FOR YOU!"

The first time that I fell in love, the girl I took to prom
Meeting friends from other lands, and learning where they're from
My many, many questions, always asking why
I always thought it seemed unfair, that people couldn't fly

Then my childhood ended, I went away to war
The wonders of my happy life, replaced by fears and horror
I lost my hope and freedom, when they told me I must go
To take up arms, and hate a man, I didn't even know

No more simple answers, to my simple question "why?"
For who can answer simply, why another man should die?
Why should I, who have no cause, to hate this foreign man
Think that I might have that right, when I invade his land

So yes I will remember, for I have earned that right
And I will always question, when we send our boys to fight
Who are these men who start these wars, and what's their reasons why
And why are they not right up front, when bullets start to fly?

My list will still continue, for I am blessed with life
Valuing the simple things, remembering the strife
And when I am complaining, of something I have lost
I'll think, and pause, to say a prayer, for those who paid the cost

A poem by Ken Asher a former Marine, Viet Nam Veteran Aug.10, 2005
************************************

Thank you for a great post honoring a true hero. Too many are forgotten in the flood of names lost to war. It is easy for the many who have not been "involved" to watch the videos on the news services and praise the slaughter. The reality is one I hope they never experience, but perhaps they should.

Thanks again, Ed.