To VIETNAM VETS AND ALL VETS ON THIS BOARD

[pinoybaptist]

If this had been about that dope head Charlie Sheen, or about some stupid item about how we all came down from the apes..... I got this from a brother

......

Take a moment to be thankful for your freedom and say a prayer for the comfort of the loved ones of this great American hero. Like most Americans, he was not remembered by the masses of the media because it didn't help their ratings or fatten their bank accounts. If he had been a Hollywood slut or dope head, or some American hating liberal who wanted to curse our Lord Jesus and destroy our American Republic the media would have slobbered all over it, but, as always, it's up to you and me to honor his memory.


Subject: :I WILL PASS THIS ON......

Some perspective for you.....................
You're a 19 year old kid.



You're 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 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 Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise , Idaho

May God Bless and Rest His Soul.





I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we've sure seen a whole bunch about Lindsay Lohan, Tiger Woods and the bickering of congress over Health Reform.

Medal of Honor Winner Captain Ed Freeman

Shame on the American media !!!

Now... YOU pass this along to YOUR
mailing list. Honor this real American.



Please.

 

[TCassidy]

My friend, I certainly agree the passing of Air Force Captain Ed Freeman is of great note to those of us who served, and those of us who love this great country. However, Captain Freeman died in August of 2008. This is really old news.

 

[Salty]

... However, Captain Freeman died in August of 2008. This is really old news.

and we should never forget him.

This is the reason I will not respond to being called a hero. Yes, I served; as a Vietnam ERA vet. I was never in-country - though I would have went if ordered to.

Calling me a hero only cheapens the title for men such as Cpt Freeman.

Please reserve the title of "hero" to those men who truly deserve it.

 

[carpro]

I don't know why, or if, this country deserves such men. But I've seen pilots like him in action. Many of them died. I never knew their names.

I pray God is holding him close.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

We lobbed high-explosive 5" 54 cal. shells into Beruit, over the heads of the Marines, who's job it was to correct our fire. That is what they are trained to do.

We got the ribbon. We were 4 miles off the shoreline.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

if this had been about that dope head charlie sheen, or about some stupid item about how we all came down from the apes..... I got this from a brother

......

Take a moment to be thankful for your freedom and say a prayer for the comfort of the loved ones of this great american hero. Like most americans, he was not remembered by the masses of the media because it didn't help their ratings or fatten their bank accounts. If he had been a hollywood slut or dope head, or some american hating liberal who wanted to curse our lord jesus and destroy our american republic the media would have slobbered all over it, but, as always, it's up to you and me to honor his memory.


Subject: :i will pass this on......

Some perspective for you.....................
You're a 19 year old kid.



You're 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 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 air force, died last wednesday at the age of 70, in boise , idaho

may god bless and rest his soul.





I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we've sure seen a whole bunch about lindsay lohan, tiger woods and the bickering of congress over health reform.

Medal of honor winner captain ed freeman

shame on the american media !!!

Now... You pass this along to your
mailing list. Honor this real american.



Please.

done...rip!

 

[th1bill]

I have no idea why my post was deleted but it is important so I'll post it again.

Ed Freeman was never in the Airforce and it an insult to every Black Bandit, Killer Spade and Tiger pilot for him to be accused of being a sissy. Ed, myself and a few thousand others were and are members of the most decorated Aviation Battalion in the world and the twenty-one presidential citations held by the battalion are all from the Vietnam trouble.

Much unlike the Airforce we flew at ground level and much unlike the Med-Evacs, we never refused to land, no matter how bad the existing and on going firefight. We were and to this day we are "Army."

 

[Don]

I have no idea why my post was deleted but it is important so I'll post it again.

Ed Freeman was never in the Airforce and it an insult to every Black Bandit, Killer Spade and Tiger pilot for him to be accused of being a sissy. Ed, myself and a few thousand others were and are members of the most decorated Aviation Battalion in the world and the twenty-one presidential citations held by the battalion are all from the Vietnam trouble.

Much unlike the Airforce we flew at ground level and much unlike the Med-Evacs, we never refused to land, no matter how bad the existing and on going firefight. We were and to this day we are "Army."

Bill - from an Air Force guy: bite my big toe.

Did we have some bad pilots who were more worried about their golf times? No more so than we had Army officers who were more worried about doctoring up kill scores than actually waging and winning a ground war.

Bill, I have a lot of respect for your sermons and theological studies you post in the upper section of this board. I have no respect for your denigration of your fellow servicemen and women who have also died in the line of duty, serving their country.

 

[carpro]

Odd how a tribute to a true American hero can degenerate into being the pawn of interservice rivalry.

Does it really matter if he was Air Force or Army? Does it really matter if he died in 2008 instead of now? Does that lessen his sacrifice and bravery or does it mean we should stop recognizing it after 3 years?

It took 36 years for his bravery to be recognized in the first place. should we now forget it because he has been deceased for 3 years?

For the record, theses are the facts:

...in 2001 Freeman was awarded the nation's highest military honor some 36 years after the fact for his heroic actions as a Vietnam War helicopter pilot on November 14, 1965. He was presented with a citation by President George W. Bush which read as follows:

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, First Cavalry Division Air Mobil (ph).

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 Idrang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry 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 Paceeds (ph) 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 experienced a 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 estimates 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.

I will salute his extraordinary bravery til the day I die. I don't care what service he was a member of. He was an American fighting man and a hero. Our nation is blessed to have men like him.:applause:

 

[th1bill]

Bill - from an Air Force guy: bite my big toe.

Did we have some bad pilots who were more worried about their golf times? No more so than we had Army officers who were more worried about doctoring up kill scores than actually waging and winning a ground war.

Bill, I have a lot of respect for your sermons and theological studies you post in the upper section of this board. I have no respect for your denigration of your fellow servicemen and women who have also died in the line of duty, serving their country.

Don,
I, Ed Freeman and the rest of the Stacked Deck Battalion did not elect to sleep in a cushy bed in the rear where it was safe. At Camp Betty, just 30 klicks south of of the DMZ, through Dau Tieng, in the Iron Triangle, we were daily fired upon and took rocket and mortar fire. On top of that we went to pick up the wounded that the Med-Evac refused to pick-up because of the on-going fire fights and we put those kids into the middle of the First NVA and extracted them when Command ordered us to forget them!

Did I appreciate the Airforce and the Navy.... When they showed up, I did. Trouble was, they were asleep at 3 and 4 in the morning when those men were dying for help... asleep in their cushy beds. And Air Force Helicopter pilots? I never, and I repeat never, saw that breed in the jungle. Fighter pilots and bomber pilots... ok, they have intestinal fortitude but your chopper pilots? We pulled a number of your pilots from the ground because the chopper pilots were sleeping... at home.

But you missed the entire point! And there were two Medal of Honor winners on that flight, they ignored the crew chiefs so there were only two but there were two and they were both Army Officers flying close combat support for Custer's Cavalry. Bite your big toe? Sure, but what are you gonna do when I spit it out?

So, instead of fighting, let's act like the brothers we are, both in Christ and in service.

 

[th1bill]

Odd how a tribute to a true American hero can degenerate into being the pawn of interservice rivalry.

Does it really matter if he was Air Force or Army? Does it really matter if he died in 2008 instead of now? Does that lessen his sacrifice and bravery or does it mean we should stop recognizing it after 3 years?

It took 36 years for his bravery to be recognized in the first place. should we now forget it because he has been deceased for 3 years?

For the record, theses are the facts:




I will salute his extraordinary bravery til the day I die. I don't care what service he was a member of. He was an American fighting man and a hero. Our nation is blessed to have men like him.:applause:

Carpro,
Ask any serviceman and you'll find out right away that we, Dog-faces, are not respected and yes it matters.

 

[Don]

Don,
I, Ed Freeman and the rest of the Stacked Deck Battalion did not elect to sleep in a cushy bed in the rear where it was safe. At Camp Betty, just 30 klicks south of of the DMZ, through Dau Tieng, in the Iron Triangle, we were daily fired upon and took rocket and mortar fire. On top of that we went to pick up the wounded that the Med-Evac refused to pick-up because of the on-going fire fights and we put those kids into the middle of the First NVA and extracted them when Command ordered us to forget them!

Did I appreciate the Airforce and the Navy.... When they showed up, I did. Trouble was, they were asleep at 3 and 4 in the morning when those men were dying for help... asleep in their cushy beds. And Air Force Helicopter pilots? I never, and I repeat never, saw that breed in the jungle. Fighter pilots and bomber pilots... ok, they have intestinal fortitude but your chopper pilots? We pulled a number of your pilots from the ground because the chopper pilots were sleeping... at home.

But you missed the entire point! And there were two Medal of Honor winners on that flight, they ignored the crew chiefs so there were only two but there were two and they were both Army Officers flying close combat support for Custer's Cavalry. Bite your big toe? Sure, but what are you gonna do when I spit it out?

So, instead of fighting, let's act like the brothers we are, both in Christ and in service.

Bill, if you want to keep it to chopper pilots, I won't argue with you. If you want to ignore the other Air Force guys who died in Vietnam and in conflicts since by calling the Air Force "sissies," I'll let you be in your ignorance.

When you spit that toe out, I'm gonna pick it up and hand it back to you, as a memento of an Air Force guy who has repeatedly worked with his fellow Army, Navy, and Marines--more often in the last few years than I have with my own servicemembers--and let you chew on it for a while.

I would love to act like the brothers we are -- both in Christ and in service. You're the one who started this with your remarks about the Air Force. I followed the biblical principle and let you know that I take offense to your remarks. According to Matthew 18, it's now up to you as to how you respond to a brother.

Carpro,
Ask any serviceman and you'll find out right away that we, Dog-faces, are not respected and yes it matters.

Ask this serviceman (me), and I'll tell you just how much I respect my Army brethren and the job they do.

 

[TCassidy]

I guess the 13 Air Force men who received the Medal of Honor in Vietnam were "sissies" too (six of them posthumously)? How sad to so disrespect those very brave men who served our country so well.

But I will take the blame for the "Air Force" error. I was quoting an article that stated Captain Freeman was Air Force. My bad. As a veteran of the US Army from 1966 through 1972 I respect all who served in the Army, and consider them my brothers in arms. However, there were equally good men in all branches of the US armed forces, and I refuse to denigrate their service by calling these honorable men "sissies." To do so is a shameful and despicable act that should be condemned by all those who love our country and love our Lord who is "Truth" personified.

 

[TCassidy]

Ask this serviceman (me), and I'll tell you just how much I respect my Army brethren and the job they do.

And I, an Army vet, respect the Air Force and your service. Thank you.

My son-in-law just retired from the Air Force. He served honorably for 21 years. In his younger days he was a PJ. Later, when his knees started bothering him he became a crew chief on a KC-135R, then on F-16s, and finally, for the last 5 years prior to his retirement, with a Predator unit. He went to some of the most dangerous places on earth and served honorably, bravely, without complaint. He now works for a defense contractor who sent him right back into harm's way as a Tech Rep for the company, in the field, working with the military people using that contractor's technology. By the way, he is over 6 feet tall and weighs around 230 pounds. All bone and muscle. He also has a black belt in the martial arts. Calling him a "sissy" to his face might prove to be a BIG mistake.

My father-in-law, who passed away last year, was a retired Air Force Master Sargent. He served at the tail-end of WWII, Korea, and Southeast Asia. He retired in 1967. One of the finest, bravest, godliest men I ever knew. And he gave me the second greatest gift I ever received. His beautiful daughter, whom I have been married to for over 35 years.

 

[carpro]

Carpro,
Ask any serviceman and you'll find out right away that we, Dog-faces, are not respected and yes it matters.

I don't know where you got that idea and I think you are, quite simply, mistaken.

I agree, if it were true, it would matter. I just don't believe soldiers are disrespected any more than any other serviceman.

Those that disrespect one usually disrespect them all.

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

Does it really matter if he was Air Force or Army? Does it really matter if he died in 2008 instead of now? Does that lessen his sacrifice and bravery or does it mean we should stop recognizing it after 3 years?

I will salute his extraordinary bravery til the day I die. I don't care what service he was a member of. He was an American fighting man and a hero. Our nation is blessed to have men like him.:applause:

Yes and no, it does matter, especially to those of his battalion and his service. Now that does not mean his sacrifice or bravery would have been any less if he had been with another branch or unit, but he wasn't. If we are going to remember lets remember the facts and get them right.

Rivalry between units or between services is not an unhealthy thing and that competition makes better warriors. Having been and known soldiers I believe Bill's pride for his own unit has been taken as disdain for others.

I have called in A-10's and seen close up the devastation they can bring. I was always glad to see them show up. I have worked with Sailors and Marines and have respect for them, but I am a soldier and my pride for my own unit goes further than any feelings for an others.

Even within the Army the rivalry between units can be intense. One of the most fun fights of my life was with an all American paratrooper who was stuck in ther rear with the gear in Iraq. When I asked him if he got a gold star for jumping out the back door of a yellow school bus we went at it.

Here is the thing, and those of you without military service may not understand, but those same guys I might have called "sissies" or something much worse, those same guys I fought with and competed against, when placed on the same team or facing a common foe those are the same guys I would have bled and fought for, and I would have instantly trusted them with my life. Those same air force "sissies" Bill wants to talk smack about, I guarantee you he would have jumped right into the bush to pull them out when they went down. In fact I am willing to bet he probably did.

There are many vets on BB who served honorably and there are many heroes in our military. I can respect you all and still talk smack to your face and tell you my branch and my unit was better. If you want we can go out in the yard and throw each other around a while. Then we can go back inside and eat together.

One more note, and I know I wrote to much, but the comment about being called a hero taking away from the real heroes. We all feel that and when people called me a hero at first it really bothered me. The real heroes gave all and never came back. When someone calls you a hero its because they don't understand that. But those of us who are still here stand in their place, and the correct response it to accept the praise with grace knowing that it really belongs to those who can no longer stand to receive it. Those who know, know, and those who don't never will.

 

[Salty]

One more note, and I know I wrote to much, but the comment about being called a hero taking away from the real heroes. We all feel that and when people called me a hero at first it really bothered me. The real heroes gave all and never came back. When someone calls you a hero its because they don't understand that. But those of us who are still here stand in their place, and the correct response it to accept the praise with grace knowing that it really belongs to those who can no longer stand to receive it. Those who know, know, and those who don't never will.

NC TM Very excellent point and I shall remember that the next time someone calls me a hero for simply wearing the unifiorm.

 

[th1bill]

Yes and no, it does matter, especially to those of his battalion and his service. Now that does not mean his sacrifice or bravery would have been any less if he had been with another branch or unit, but he wasn't. If we are going to remember lets remember the facts and get them right.

Rivalry between units or between services is not an unhealthy thing and that competition makes better warriors. Having been and known soldiers I believe Bill's pride for his own unit has been taken as disdain for others.

I have called in A-10's and seen close up the devastation they can bring. I was always glad to see them show up. I have worked with Sailors and Marines and have respect for them, but I am a soldier and my pride for my own unit goes further than any feelings for an others.

Even within the Army the rivalry between units can be intense. One of the most fun fights of my life was with an all American paratrooper who was stuck in ther rear with the gear in Iraq. When I asked him if he got a gold star for jumping out the back door of a yellow school bus we went at it.

Here is the thing, and those of you without military service may not understand, but those same guys I might have called "sissies" or something much worse, those same guys I fought with and competed against, when placed on the same team or facing a common foe those are the same guys I would have bled and fought for, and I would have instantly trusted them with my life. Those same air force "sissies" Bill wants to talk smack about, I guarantee you he would have jumped right into the bush to pull them out when they went down. In fact I am willing to bet he probably did.

There are many vets on BB who served honorably and there are many heroes in our military. I can respect you all and still talk smack to your face and tell you my branch and my unit was better. If you want we can go out in the yard and throw each other around a while. Then we can go back inside and eat together.

One more note, and I know I wrote to much, but the comment about being called a hero taking away from the real heroes. We all feel that and when people called me a hero at first it really bothered me. The real heroes gave all and never came back. When someone calls you a hero its because they don't understand that. But those of us who are still here stand in their place, and the correct response it to accept the praise with grace knowing that it really belongs to those who can no longer stand to receive it. Those who know, know, and those who don't never will.

And before I was strapped into this stinkin' wheelchair I would have toe to toed with you in the bar, the parade field or in Top's office. And after the Article 15s we would have had a wholping party! My best friend is a Black Ops Ranger and folks like us understand life! We all appreciate God's hand on His nutty children.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

We lobbed high-explosive 5" 54 cal. shells into Beruit, over the heads of the Marines, who's job it was to correct our fire. That is what they are trained to do.

We got the ribbon. We were 4 miles off the shoreline.

Well Brother, I thank you for recognizing it!

Blessings

 

[carpro]

Yes and no, it does matter, especially to those of his battalion and his service. Now that does not mean his sacrifice or bravery would have been any less if he had been with another branch or unit, but he wasn't. If we are going to remember lets remember the facts and get them right.

Rivalry between units or between services is not an unhealthy thing and that competition makes better warriors. Having been and known soldiers I believe Bill's pride for his own unit has been taken as disdain for others.

I have called in A-10's and seen close up the devastation they can bring. I was always glad to see them show up. I have worked with Sailors and Marines and have respect for them, but I am a soldier and my pride for my own unit goes further than any feelings for an others.

Somewhere along the line, some overexhuberant airman changed the service on the email from Army to Air Force. That's the way tose forwarded things go. I knew immediately , when I read it, it was a mistake. It just didn't matter to me. But...I can understand why it does to others.

Speaking of which, I've been bombed and strafed by the Air Force, shot at by Navy PBRs and short-rounded by Navy 8" guns. So far, to my knowledge, the Army never tried to kill me.

But I love 'em all. :applause:

BTW, one of the greatest heroes of the Vietnam war( IMHO ) was Bud Day, USAF.