Some awards do still mean something.

unixknight · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 09:23 AM

My son sent me an E-mail this morning that contained the following:

Quote:

You're a 19 year old kid.

You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , on 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 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..!!

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 Medi-Vac so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire away. Even 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..!!

He 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've sure seen a whole bunch about some movie stars !!!

Whenever I get an E-mail like that I do a little fact checking because as warm & fuzzy as it is to hear a story like that, a lot of times they aren't true.

So I went to Wiki. In fact this story is completely true. He had originally been nominated for the Medal of Honor back during the Vietnam War but the time limit has expired. That limit was lifted many years later and in July of 2001 the President awarded him the Medal.

Ed "Too Tall" Freeman was portrayed in the movie We Were Soldiers.

He passed away on 20 August, 2009. I don't know about you guys, but I never heard a word about it on the "news."

pam · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 11:28 AM

The story has variations of truth and fiction. He was awarded that honor. But the dates of his death keep changing as a celebrity passes away. It's to make a point. Such as was the case with Michael Jackson. The date of Freeman's death was changed to June of 2009 to show that so much hype was given to Jackson's death but nothing ever said about Freeman.

He actually died in August of 2008 not 2009.

snopes.com: Ed Freeman

Ed Freeman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MOH Recipient Ed Freeman Dies

Freeman died on August 20, 2008 due to complications from Parkinsons disease. He was buried in the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise.

BenRaines · #3 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 11:37 AM

Newspaper Archive

Ben Raines

pam · #4 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 11:42 AM

Unfortunately you can't read the entire article to that link Ben unless you register and/or pay for it. But it's the same article as the 3rd link I gave.

unixknight · #5 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 04:58 PM

Thanks for fixing the date.

farmer · #6 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 05:07 PM

There are MANY stories just like Mr. freemans. I love hearing them. Lone survivor is a recent story that comes to mind.

There is an infamous video on youtube of some blackwater and U.S. forces on top of a besieged building. They were low on everything and the military would not allow any choppers in for resupply. One Blackwater chopper pilot disregarded this order and can be seen flying in much needed supplies. Upon landing he was fired on the spot. He received no medal nor honorable mention except for the praise of the men that were there on the roof.

BenRaines · #7 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 05:18 PM

Here is one of my favorite heroes.

I heard him speak some years ago. Could not listen without tears running down my face.

Captain Gerald Coffee -- Speakers-Network

Ben Raines

Elphaba · #8 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farmer

flying in much needed supplies. Upon landing he was fired on the spot. He received no medal nor honorable mention except for the praise of the men that were there on the roof.

Blackwater's presence in Iraq was contracted by the government. Its employees are not members of the military; thus, this man would not be eligible for any American medals or honorable mentions.

Elphaba

Update: Unix showed me that I am wrong about this, so ignore my post. E.

unixknight · #9 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elphaba

Blackwater's presence in Iraq was contracted by the government. Its employees are not members of the military; thus, this man would not be eligible for any American medals or honorable mentions.

Elphaba

Actually, there are medals that can be bestowed upon civilians.

For example:The Presidential Medal of Freedom

The problem is with the controversy surrounding the use of mercs in Iraq it would not have been politically expedient.

Elphaba · #10 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unixknight

Actually, there are medals that can be bestowed upon civilians.

For example:The Presidential Medal of Freedom

Good to know. Thanks.

Elphaba