Freeman was the flight leader and secondincommand of a 16helicopter lift unit on nov. The story of a helicopter pilot, major ed freeman, who flew his unarmed huey into to the battle zone during the viet nam war multiple times to supply troops and evacuate wounded personnel after the medivac helicopters were ordered to stop evacuations. As a young teenager, freeman saw thousands of military personnel pass by his small mississippi hometown. The late army helicopter pilot and congressional medal of honor recipient army capt. Ed freeman, medal of honor recipient urban legends.
During the battle, he flew through gunfire numerous times, bringing supplies to a trapped american battalion and flying dozens of wounded soldiers to safety. Some would not have made it without the captain and his. Was assigned to various infantry units, but i was basically a combat engineer but. And the same pilot flew more than 70 wounded soldiers to safety. Even after the medevacs were ordered not to come in, he is coming anyway. Conversation topics 3rd grade math projects best books for young adults. He later said he just wanted to get out of his hometown, so in 1944, he joined the navy and served on an oiler that provided petroleum to combat ships in the pacific during world war ii. On august 20, 2008, freeman passed away from complications of parkinsons disease in boise, idaho at the age of 80. Youre critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the ia drang valley, 11141965, lz xray, vietnam.
He decided then and there that he would be a soldier. Freeman would get his chance to become a soldier in september of 1948 when he enlisted in the u. But if youre in the middle of a war zone, its very different. Freeman, united states army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous. He died in 2008 at age 80 due to complications from parkinsons disease. Freeman was born on november 20, 1927 in neely, mississippi and was the sixth of nine children growing up. Freeman was a wingman for major bruce crandall who also received the medal of honor for the same missions. Too tall freeman was a united states army helicopter pilot who received the u.
Freeman retired as a major in 1967 after 23 years of service. In the 2002 film we were soldiers, which depicted the battle of ia drang, freeman was portrayed by mark mccracken. The battle of ia drang inspired the critically acclaimed book we were soldiers once and young, which was turned into a similarly titled. Because he is not medevac its not his job but he has heard the radio call and decided he is flying his huey down into the machine gun fire anyway. We were soldiers is a 2002 american war film directed by randall wallace and starring mel gibson.
Galloway, it dramatizes the battle of ia drang on november 14, 1965. Remembering medal of honor recipient ed freeman truth. Inspired by their call to duty, freeman decided to enlist in the navy at age 17 and served on the uss cacapon for two years. Based on the book we were soldiers once and young 1992 by lieutenant general ret. Freeman was secondincommand of his 16helicopter lift unit. Back at base, ed and the other pilots received word that the soldiers they had. Too tall freeman november 20, 1927 august 20, 2008 was a united states army. We made four lifts into there without receiving a round of fire, freeman later described, and i thought. The battle of ia drang inspired the critically acclaimed book we were soldiers once and young, which was turned into a similarly titled movie, we were soldiers, in 2002. That brings us to the story of captain ed freeman, a helicopter pilot who. He moved to boise, idaho, where he raised his family and flew helicopters for the interior department for 20 years.
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