Ed Freeman Medal Of Honor Recipient

Proudly, we salute

Morgan and Cullman County recipients of the Purple Heart—the nation’s oldest military medal—were honored at an impressive ceremony conducted at the Purple Heart Memorial in Hartselle on Saturday.

The ceremony, which featured the ringing of a bell after the pronouncement of each recipient’s name, was sponsored by the Finis J. Self Chapter 2212 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Reading the names were State Senator Arthur Orr, R-Decatur; Maj. Gen. James Myles (Retired) of Huntsville, State Representative Ed Henry, R-Hartselle and Kenneth Kilgo, mayor of West Point.

“We’re here to honor those from Cullman and Morgan County who have received the Purple Heart,” said General Myles, the guest speaker. “This is about us putting our arms around the stars—those who have gone into battle in our nation’s defense and spilt blood to keep us free.”

“Our military personnel are as good as they’ve ever been and they continue to pay a price for all of us,” he added.

Attending the ceremony were an estimated 200 family members of Purple Heart recipients.

Mrs. Ausie L. Clement Jr. of Athens was one of them. Her late husband served in Vietnam and later retired as an Army captain with the Purple Heart medal.

“I think it’s great to have a memorial service for Purple Heart recipients,” she said, “We can’t do too much to honor those who have given their lives or spilt their blood for our country.”

A charter member of Chapter 2212, Wayne Lackey Sr. said he fought in Korea and Vietnam and served in the Army for 27 years.  He added proudly that he and his four brothers combined served in military for 92 years.

Roy Alford of Birmingham said he attended the ceremony in honor of a brother, Otis Alford, who was killed in the Korean War, an uncle, Gene Sivley, who was killed at Pearl Harbor in World War II and his wife’s uncle, Gene Sivley, who died in the Philippines while serving in World War II.

You're a 19 year old kid… « Jay in Ames

You’re critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .

It’s November 11, 1967. LZ (landing zone) X-ray.

Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac 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 half 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.

You look up to see a Huey coming in. But.. It doesn’t seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you. Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.

He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, died August 20, 2008 at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho

May God Bless and Rest His Soul.

Medal of Honor Winner Captain Ed Freeman FREEMAN, ED W.

By direction of the President, under the Joint Resolution of Congress approved 12 July 1862 (amended by act of 3 March 1863, act of 9 July 1918, and act of 25 July 1963), the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, is awarded by the Department of the Army in the name of Congress to:

CAPTAIN ED W. FREEMAN UNITED STATES ARMY

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, of Boise, Idaho, who 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 because of intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his 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, by providing the engaged units with supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, directly affected the battle’s outcome. Without them the units would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area because of intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing lifesaving 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 and extraordinary perseverance 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.

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