Passing!!!

[purplecowboy]

You're a 19 year old  kid. You are 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 the 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 Air Force, died   Wednesday 8-20-08 at the age of 80, in Boise , Idaho.
 
I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we've sure seen a whole bunch about the thug Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and the bickering of congress over Health & OBAMACARE! 

BUT ZIP ABOUT THE PASSING OF Medal of Honor RECIPIENT Captain Ed Freeman
 
Honor this real hero.   Please!
 

 
 

[WARHORSE]

Its people like this that are the true heros and will never get the respect and aknoledgement they deserve!!

[KFhunter]

He's a real hero no doubt about that, but he died in Aug 2008.

He does have a movie inspired by his actions we were soldiers and a post office named after him.  He died of Parkinson's.


Thanks for bringing this up, we should all spend some time remembering some hero's of the past.

[shorthair15]

a real hero! im a veteran of 10 yrs. in the military. i would of liked to meet him and shake his hand and tell him you are true hero. RIP my friend.

[Boss .300 winmag]

And our Secretary of State John Kerry has no idea about such things, as he was a draft dodger. 

Captain Freeman is a true American Hero! 

[PlateauNDN]

RIP Sir, your selfless actions are never forgotten

[Knocker of rocks]

And our Secretary of State John Kerry has no idea about such things, as he was a draft dodger. 

You have John Kerry mistaken for former VP and SecDef Dick Cheney and former President George W Bush.

John Kerry did serve in Vietnam.

[timberfaller]

"John Kerry did serve in Vietnam."

Yep!  But without "Honor"!!

You wouldn't know that unless to did the research!!

[Knocker of rocks]

"John Kerry did serve in Vietnam."

Yep!  But without "Honor"!!

You wouldn't know that unless to did the research!!

Thank you, but I have research it.  Just went a little beyond the O'Reilly-Hannity sphere.

[GrainfedMuley]

Very touching story. It is sad to think that what you mentioned was much more important. Back in the 90's. I met Congressional Medal of Honor receiver Senator Leo Thorsness. Extremely nice man and never really talked about how he received the Honor. I was totally humbled in his presence. How can some average joe like me even compare to that? We were on the dinner train in Renton when it was there and he reserved the entire train for his campaign people. I helped make several thousand campaign signs.  If I remember, it was right before Christmas. He then gave everybody on the train a "Leo Thorsness" coin that I still have to this day. I was proud yet humbled to meet the man. Oh, and I almost forgot the very best thing about receiving the "MoH".......The President salutes you!

[Knocker of rocks]

I never knew that a boyhood friends dad was awarded the MOH for actions in Italy until years after his death

[boneaddict]

I love posts like these.  Remembering those that gave so much and received so little.

[Woodchuck]

"John Kerry did serve in Vietnam."

Yep!  But without "Honor"!!

You wouldn't know that unless to did the research!!

Thank you, but I have research it.  Just went a little beyond the O'Reilly-Hannity sphere.

Guys, let's not turn a thread like this about an American hero into a political debate.

[GrainfedMuley]

My post was certainly not political. Here is what I found about Senator Leo Thorsness.


   
Leo ThorsnessLeo Thorsness

Born: February 14, 1932
Walnut Grove, Minnesota

War: Vietnam

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel (then Major), U.S. Air Force, 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron

Location of action: Over North Vietnam

Date of action: April 19, 1967

Medal received from: Richard Nixon, October 15, 1973

Official Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F-105 aircraft, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In tile attack on the second missile site, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness’ wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the two crewmembers abandoned their aircraft.

Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker.

Upon being advised that two helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew’s position and that there were hostile MIGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft defenses to the downed crew’s position. As he approached the area, he spotted four MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MIGs, damaging one and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely.

Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness’ extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.