- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
RIP Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, age 81
Posted on 8/9/25 at 7:37 pm
Posted on 8/9/25 at 7:37 pm
You're a 19 year old kid.
You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .
Its November 14, 1965 . 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. He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MedEvacs 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 3 of you at a time on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!
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 at the age of 81, in Boise, Idaho.
God bless our vets!
You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .
Its November 14, 1965 . 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. He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MedEvacs 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 3 of you at a time on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!
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 at the age of 81, in Boise, Idaho.
God bless our vets!
17
Posted on 8/9/25 at 7:38 pm to OU Guy
RIP! GOD BLESS!
Posted on 8/9/25 at 7:46 pm to navy
RIP. True American Hero. Thoughts and prayers with his family.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:03 pm to AndyJ
What a magnificent human. 
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:08 pm to OU Guy
quote:
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, died at the age of 81, in Boise, Idaho.
I love the guy, but this happened in 2008, and he was 80, not quite 81 (and it was on August 20, 2008).
Ed Freeman was a 3-war veteran - serving on the oiler USS Cacapon, herself a veteran of the 3 wars - then switching to the US Army during the late 40s, fighting on Pork Chop Hill in Korea (where he earned a battlefield commission).
Like most folks, I came to know him through the book We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young (or the film adaptation for some of you).
The commission made him eligible to be a pilot, so he pursued that after Korea and became the helicopter pilot of legend at LZ X-Ray.
He earned 3 DFCs, a BSV, a Purple Heart and 3 Air Medals, in addition to the MOH he was awarded less than 2 months before 9/11 (retroactively for the Ia Drang Valley).
For completeness:
Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, 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 due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own 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 had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving 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, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity 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.
This post was edited on 8/9/25 at 8:09 pm
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:10 pm to OU Guy
Greater love hath no man….
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:11 pm to OU Guy
Those Huey pilots were a different breed. I've read several books and they were all part-hero/part-lunatic. I think it was the book Chickenhawk where the guy talked about how he learned once he got in the shite that you dont wear your flak vest... you sit on it (bc where are the bullets coming from?)
RIP Captain Freeman
RIP Captain Freeman
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:15 pm to Lynxrufus2012
And Bruce Crandall yet lives...
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:21 pm to OU Guy
I doubt he had pronouns unless it was huge stones or badass.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 8:24 pm to OU Guy
quote:
Even after the MedEvacs 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 3 of you at a time on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!
Yes, I teared up on that.
Recall his role from the movie, We Were Young.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:02 pm to OU Guy
Great story. RIP soldier.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:09 pm to OU Guy
Not sure how that guy could pilot a helo with his basketball-sized testicle in the way.
RIP Captain. Thank you for your selfless service.
RIP Captain. Thank you for your selfless service.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:09 pm to OU Guy
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:18 pm to OU Guy
Too Tall.
A true American hero.
RIP
A true American hero.
RIP
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:18 pm to OU Guy
Only 60 living recipients remain.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:21 pm to blueboy
We’re losing all the great ones.
Jim Lovell yesterday. Ed Freeman today.
Jim Lovell yesterday. Ed Freeman today.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:31 pm to makersmark1
quote:
doubt he had pronouns unless it was huge stones or badass.
“Too Tall” was his nickname.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:41 pm to OU Guy
We Were Soldiers is one of my favorite war movies. For movie standards, it portrays this battle really historically accurate.
Posted on 8/9/25 at 9:44 pm to OU Guy
RIP sir. A real baw!
Page 1 of 2
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News