A family member made me aware of this true story. As a veteran myself I felt the need to share this with you.

You’re a 19, critically wounded, dying in the jungle somewhere far, so very far, from home.

It’s November 11,1967; Vietnam. Your LZ (landing zone) is X-ray in the Ia Drang Valley.

Your unit is pined, outnumbered 8-1. Somewhere in the bush maybe 100 or so yards away the enemy lies hidden. The enemy fire is so intense, your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in the gunfire is much to deadly.

You’re lying there, listening to the machine guns, knowing you’re not getting out.

Everyone you have known or loved half a world away. Over 12,000 miles away. You’ll never will see or touch them again. You can almost hear your mother crying.

The world starts to fade in and out, this is your last day.
Then – almost despite the deafening gun fire – a faint noise, as if it’s coming from some other world, the sound of a helicopter. Looking up you see a dark Huey thundering in. But, It doesn’t seem real, it can’t be real because there are no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you in his unarmed Huey.

He’s not a MedEvac pilot so saving your life it’s not his job, not his problem, He heard the radio call warning him and the others pilots away and he came anyway. Flying his Huey down into the devastating gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs were ordered to safety he came. After being told the enemy fire made the extraction impossible, He still came.

He lands and waits despite the  gun fire, as they load 3 of you into his Huey.

Then he fly’s you up and out through heavy gunfire to  waiting doctors and nurses. To safety.

Then he goes back!! 13 more times he knowingly risks all!!
Not until all the wounded were safe. Only when the wounded were safely extracted did  Captain Ed let it be known he had been struck 4 times. He was shot in both legs and his left arm.
You and 29 of your buddies survived because of him. Many made it home because of Captain Ed Freeman 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.

A true Hero