Sunday, April 24, 2016

Landing Zone X-ray, Vietnam November 11, 1965


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 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 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 unarmed Huey. But ... it doesn't seem real because no Medevac markings are on it.

 Extraction from an extremely hot LZ

Ed Freeman is coming for you.

He's not Medevac so it's not his job, but 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 on August 20, 2008 at the age of 80, in Boise, Idaho

May God Bless and Rest His Soul.

UH1 hovering in a hot Landing Zone

http://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2014/347/29186886_1418620642.jpghttp://www.theodoresworld.net/pics/0908/tooTallImage1.jpg

FREEMAN, ED W.

By direction of the President, under the Joint Resolution of Congress approved 12 July 1862 (amended by act of 3 March 1863, act of 9 July 1918, and act of 25 July 1963), the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, is awarded by the Department of the Army in the name of Congress to:

CAPTAIN ED W. FREEMAN UNITED STATES ARMY

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, of Boise, Idaho, who 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 because of intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his 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, by providing the engaged units with supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, directly affected the battle's outcome. Without them the units would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area because of intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing lifesaving 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 and extraordinary perseverance 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.

8 comments:

  1. It is great to hear about real heroes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Heard a Huey out tooling around
    this morning and caught sight of
    for a few seconds. The sighting would
    have lasted longer but it was directly
    east of me and the early morning Sun was
    overwhelming. I had to use the classic method
    of covering the Sun with my hand and scanning
    for the aircraft.
    Having said that, its now off-topic to a
    posting by Bracken this morning of events
    yesterday at Stone Mountain.
    Not surprisingly, there was no national
    coverage yesterday, which confuses the
    hell out of me. Usually the whores
    of state media live for this type of dust-up
    (initiated by SJW/communists) to propagandize.

    http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/hundreds-of-protesters-expected-for-competing-rallies-at-stone-mountain/237417863

    What I most noticed from the video was that
    the so-called "White Power" protestors was
    a group of about a dozen flaggers. For the
    split second of time they are seen, I did not
    view any indication of Klan or Nazi's.
    Obviously, anyone who displays (or supports) the
    battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia is
    now a Nazi and/or Klan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. usually the whores of state media live for this type of dust-up

      Yes, very strange and thanks.

      =====================

      anyone who displays (or supports) the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia is now a Nazi and/or Klan.

      Well, they can kiss my ruddy, red rectum.

      Delete
  3. A very brave man. God bless this true American.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Research and post on Major Bruce P. Crandall and his actions in the Ia Drang. He flew with Freeman that day.

    Men. Plain and simple.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crandall also wanted to avoid giving the enemy an illuminated target and risk backlighting the soldiers defending the landing zone and wounded soldiers. Instead of using search or landing lights, he instructed Nadal to point a flashlight up in the center of the touchdown area.

      Thanks and I remember now.

      Delete