Post by: purplecowboy on November 18, 2015, 06:20:49 PM
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!
:sry:
Post by: WARHORSE on November 18, 2015, 06:59:38 PM
Post by: KFhunter on November 18, 2015, 07:09:33 PM
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.
Post by: shorthair15 on November 18, 2015, 07:14:58 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on November 18, 2015, 07:17:23 PM
Captain Freeman is a true American Hero! :tup:
Post by: PlateauNDN on November 18, 2015, 10:01:10 PM
Post by: Knocker of rocks on November 18, 2015, 10:08:06 PM
And our Secretary of State John Kerry has no idea about such things, as he was a draft dodger. :bash:
You have John Kerry mistaken for former VP and SecDef Dick Cheney and former President George W Bush.
John Kerry did serve in Vietnam.
Post by: timberfaller on November 19, 2015, 07:56:08 AM
Yep! But without "Honor"!!
You wouldn't know that unless to did the research!!
Post by: Knocker of rocks on November 19, 2015, 08:21:42 AM
"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.
Post by: GrainfedMuley on November 19, 2015, 08:24:37 AM
Post by: Knocker of rocks on November 19, 2015, 08:28:56 AM
Post by: boneaddict on November 19, 2015, 08:33:04 AM
Post by: Woodchuck on November 19, 2015, 08:37:34 AM
Guys, let's not turn a thread like this about an American hero into a political debate."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.
Post by: GrainfedMuley on November 19, 2015, 09:03:05 AM
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.