Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Major Bruce P. Place and date of birth: Olympia, Washington, 1933. Place and dates: Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965. Army, Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Just before the film was released, Freeman's award was reconsidered and he was awarded the CMoH some 36 years after the action.įollowing the release of the film, Crandall's recommendation was reconsidered too and as a result he was also awarded the CMoH.
Both were recommended for the CMoH but both were awarded lower medals instead. 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.Īccording to Medal of Honor Recipients Portrayed On Film ()web site, Freeman was reduced a small part while the film, "We Were Soldiers", concentrated more on Bruce Crandall. 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. 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. 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 estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers - some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. 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 gone down, with much greater loss of life. 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 besieged battalion. 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. 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. 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, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). It was a day many Vietnam veterans broke their silence and raised their glasses in a toast to Eddie: "Cleared for take-off!"įor conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:Ĭaptain Ed W. On August 20, 2008, Ed Freeman passed away. In 2001, Captain Freeman was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. If not for Ed Freeman, you all were dead men. He saved about 30 of you and your buddies. You will not die this day.įreeman came back 13 more times. He flies you up and out, through the gunfire, to the doctors and nurses. He sits there in the blizzard of bullets as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. But he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire because Medevac was ordered not to.įreeman lands. It's Ed Freeman, coming to save your life. It doesn't seem real because there are no Medevac markings on it. Over the machine gun noise, you hear that sound of a helicopter. 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, knowing you're not getting out. No Medevac chopper will rescue you, so you must die. The enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own company commander has ordered the Medevac helicopters to stop coming in. Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8 to 1. Except you're critically wounded and dying in the jungle of the Ia Drang Valley, Landing Zone Xray, South Vietnam.
It's November 14, 1965, and you're an 18 or 19 year old kid. The next time you are at the airfield and you hear the fwap, fwap, fwap of a helicopter rotar, you may just remember Ed Freeman. There is a silent knowing amongst their brotherhood if you've been there, you never talk about it.īut some stories are told - because too much would be lost if they weren't. I have been involved in a project involving Vietnam veterans.
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