With the national news dominated by the death of a famous singer and actress, this is not getting much attention. I just had it sent to me from a friend and I had to share and throw out some perspective on this day:Ed Freeman
November 14th, 1965. Landing Zone X-ray. Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam. You are a 19 year old kid. You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle. Your infantry company is badly outnumbered and the enemy fire from 100 or 200 yards away is so intense that your own Company Commander has ordered the Medi-Vac helicopters to stop coming in.
You're lying there, listening to the NVA machine guns. You know you are not getting out. Your family is halfway around the world 12,000 miles away and you know you will never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then, suddenly, over the machine gun noise, you hear that distinct sound of helicopter. You look up to see an un-armed Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because there are no Medi-Vac markings on it.
Ed Freeman
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is coming for you. He is not a Medic, it's not his job. But he is flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, even after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.He is coming any way.
He drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the doctors and nurses. You are safe, but he is not. He keeps coming back…13 more times…and takes about 30 of your buddies out. All of who would never have gotten out.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Ed Freeman, died Wednesday, March 25th, 2009, in Boise, Idaho. He was 80 years old. May God rest his soul.
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You know I started to write several things on this after I read it and I just can't even come up with the words. The Medal of Honor is THE pinnacle of anything heroic or otherworldly anyone can be awarded in our society. If you haven't done it you should go on the Medal of Honor's site (I'll look it up shortly and give a link) and just browse though and read some of the citations. These were some of the men among men and so casually put others in front of themselves that you stop to think what if it were you? These are the heroes every kid should look up to and the stories that should be passed to our children for the rest of time. Think of how better a world we would live in if everyone were like Ed Freeman. Hell it nearly brings me to tears thinking about it. I will stop at the drop of a hat to shake a Medal of Honor recipient's hand anywhere and anytime.
Thank you Ed Freeman God rest your soul.
His official citation...
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.
Thank you Andy for sharing this with us. I was old enough to have gone to Vietnam but never had to. I do appreciate everyone who served in the military then and now. I had a chance to go to the American cemetery at Normandy when I was in France earlier this year and that was a very moving experience. We should all think everyday about what people like this have done for us and continue to do today. I think I will log on and make a contribution to the USO in Ed's memory. I had heard from someone I know that the soldiers really appreciate the stuff the USO does for them so I contribute periodically. I cannot think of a better reason than to honor a medal of honor recipient.
Taken from here
http://www.history.army.mil/moh.html
Read and respect this is your history.
A true American icon.
I can't even imagine...
The term hero seems to get thrown around too much in sports. To me a true hero is someone who puts the safety of others ahead of his own.
Anyways, one of my favorite recepients of the Medal of Honor is Eugene Fluckey. He commanded a submarine during World War II and he said that the criteria of the Medal of Honor gave him pause as he realized putting his safety in jeopardy also meant putting his men at risk too. He ended up getting a few other medals but the thing he was most proud of was the fact that despite all the risks, none of his men were ever wounded.
I too idolize the actions and the heroes that have warranted our nation's greatest distinction, but I am afraid the actual award today has become so tainted with the stain of politics, that I cannot hold the medal when awarded today (and not awarded) in the same class as those of before, when it's true intentions were still being appropriately honored.
If you are not sure what I am talking about, I am referring to the questionable circumstances surrounding the cases of 1Lt Mike McCarthy USN, and Sgt Jesse Peralta USMC. The putrid filth of politics permeates through the legacy of these two heroes.
P.S. Andy, Is it OK if I say that I want my Gunny to be IDF'd as soon as possible out here. Every Marine here is ready for him to be neutralized. He's a M#F@er!
Shorty:
I am sure your experiences are similar to mine: most Marine staff NCOs are pretty good. They would not have gotten that far if they were not.
There is nothing worse when you have to deal with one that sucks.
Andy,
I respectfully beg to differ. The way the Corps the seems to be moving is that all the competent and good Marines get out after their first enlistment because they don't want to put up with all this absurd and unnecessary Staff NCO bullshit. They know they can succeed in the real world and make real money (one ex: a former out here is making 200,000+ doing internet and doesn't even have a degree). These guys are good to go and thy're good leaders. The people who keep reenlisting are the types who don't know anything else, don't dream higher, or have any other aspirations. They're idiots who talk baby talk to you and make you run formation runs in a combat zone when we just got a classified briefing on the capabilities of the enemy to strike us with IDF. I won't go into it or much else a whole lot further (shaking my head at the abomination that is the USMC Staff NCO).
Most all Sgt's and Cpl's seem to know what they're doing and are doing great things in this fight, but they don't want to put up with this bullshit from higher ups with nothing better to do, who are enticed to stay in because they aren't able to think for themselves.
I agree with countless Sgt's I've met that the Marine Corps leads the way on every level as far as leadership is concerned, but Staff NCO's in the Marine Corps are by far the weakest in any of the services. I won't go into examples here, but goldarn if that isn't what I have come to know in my almost 5 years in the Corps I do love. Oh yeah, and I want to do two more years because I haven't done everything I set out to do (Afghanistan) but after that I'm out! I'm gonna go to U of Michigan and become an alumn, no doubt about it.
Everyone: Remember it is always a great day to be a member of 1st CIVDIV (civilian). There is no amount of money that compares with the freedom to tell your boss to fuck himself and quit whenever you want, even to hit their cowardly ass in the fucking face if you feel so inclined. Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing, these are the sacrifices we make on a daily basis.
Oh yeah,
My younger brother graduates from PLC Seniors on Thursday! That makes one shit hot mustang (my older bro), one enlisted idiot (me), and one officer all the way (my younger bro).
"The people who keep reenlisting are the types who don't know anything else, don't dream higher, or have any other aspirations."
And then...
"I'm gonna go to U of Michigan and become an alumn, no doubt about it."
Oh the incongruity!
(wv = "legos") UofM, the legoland of the midwest.
I'm not sure what the problem you have with Lt. Murphy. It sounds like received a Medal of Honor.
Now Sgt Peralta sounds like a travesty.
The Medal Of Honor for the honorable Lt. Murphy did not meet the official criteria per the order, it was a political call, not based purely on his actions per the order.
Reading his story, it sounds like he moved out of cover to make a call to get assistance for the rest of his men. That seems pretty damn close. That's a hell of alot closer than say....oh I don't know...escaping the Phillippines on a PT boat while the rest of your men get captured.
The Peralta thing seems like a travesty though. The guy covered a grenade with his body. Granted, Fallujah is not the most politically popular battle of Iraq, but still....
I do not have a problem with Lt. Murphy's actions other than that he knew they were all toast if he didn't make that call so either way he was a gonner. That to me is not necessarily worthy in the sense that the Medal is for actions above and beyond the call of duty with complete disregard for one's personal safety. He could not have saved himself by not making that call. I'll say Navy Cross level.
The order for the Medal of Honor states that there must be at least two witnesses to the act, one was the lone survivor Marcus Latrell, the other was a LtCol in charge of the SEALs in the operation back at the Bagram Air Base who received the call, only he died in the attempted rescue and never lived long enough to testify to the call actually happening. The Medal of Honor is not awarded until proven, and that second witness could not confirm as the absolute truth.
This problem is exacerbated because they used this formula in a more than questionable manner with Sgt Peralta (whom I heard about in boot camp from my D.I. through the USMC grapevine within days of his heroism in Fallujah), yet they waived the order for Lt. Murphy, in my estimation because it was a SEAL team that was ambushed. The SEALS were no doubt amazing fighters, but 3 Navy Crosses and a Medal of Honor for all members of a team that fought off an ambush for their lives speaks to efforts of politicians to take the engagement that saw the greatest loss of SEAL life in history (17ish total as all but three in the original team were killed when the aircraft carrying the reinforcements of SEALs and Army Knightstalkers was blown out of the sky by a Taliban RPG) into a victory for the US of A. To me that is just flat out shady. God Bless all of them as they are heroes in the greatest sense of the word, but politics influenced those decisions in a horrendous fashion.
BTW, Penn State can be proud as LT. Murphy was and will always be an alumni.
Let me clarify,
The original team was a four member team with three including Lt. Murphy being killed, all others were killed in the air craft.
Sgt. Peralta's case got all the way to the SECDEF who had only to pass it to the POTUS for final approval... it had gone all the way through the Commandant of the Marine Corps with evidence like an NCIS investigation (as all cases being considered for the MOH are) only to have a politician say, "Nah, how about a Navy Cross for jumping on a grenade to save your buddies though?" I'd just like to say that in questioning Sgt Peralta's actions, SECDEF called 5 Marines in that room liars.
I vaguely remember reading the story of Lt. Murphy in the Washington Post. If I remember correctly, it might have even been written by the guy who wrote Blackhawk Down. It seemed like a pretty harrowing story.
Anyways, in many cases there seems to be a political component to the awarding of the Medal of Honor. Take my example of Dugout Doug for instance.
It's so sad.
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