You're a 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the La Drang Vally, 11/14/1965, LZ X-ray, Vietnam. Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8-1, and the enemy gunfire is so intense 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 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 guns, you fainlty hear that sound of helicopter, and you look up to see an un-armed Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no MediVac markings are on it.
Ed Freeman is not MediVac so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the heavy gunfire. After the MediVacs were ordered not to come, he's coming anyway.
He drops it in and sits there in the gunfire 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 keeps coming back...13 more times...and taks about 30 of your buddies out, men who would never have gotten out without him.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Ed Freeman, died Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 at the age of 80, in Boise, ID...May God rest his soul.
(received via email)
President Obama speaking at the Memorial Day Service
