Happy Veterans Day OT

[Don Coatney]

Don Coatney

US ARMY

Vietnam Vet

Here is an interesting story of a true hero.

There is no such thing as a 'baseball hero, football hero'....this is a HERO!

America 's best

Ed Freeman

You're an 18 or 19 year old soldier. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965. LZ Xray , Vietnam . Your Infantry Unit is outnumbered 8 - 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own battalion commander has ordered the MediVac 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 halfway around the world and you know 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 guns, you faintly hear the sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see a Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no MediVac markings are on it.

Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not MediVac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the MediVacs 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 2 or 3 of you on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the doctors and nurses.

And he kept coming back...... 13 more times.... and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out otherwise.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died last Wednesday at the age of 80, in Boise, ID

[Johnny S]

Great tribute to a hero .... thanks for posting the story Don. My thanks to all who have served. God Bless America.

[Dennis Hemingway]

Yes, HAPPY VETERANS DAY to all Veterans.

Dennis Hemingway

U.S. Navy, DT3

Vietnam Vet

Apollo 11 Recovery Team

USS Hornet CVS 12

[anthonyb]

Hopefully this will work. Very appropriate for today.

May take a bit to load on dialup but well worth the wait.

[1940plymouth]

USAF

Dec of '68 to Dec of '72

I have one son that will have 20 years in the USAF in Jan of '09 and another son that was discharged in '01 from the USAF

So you can see, I am a proud Veteran also and Happy Veteran's Day to all Veterans and thanks so much for all that was given

[Tony Cipponeri]

God Bless all of our Vets, and God Bless America. Tony C

[wills 51]

Thank you Don for posting the story about Mr freeman, I think that pretty much so sums it up what this day is all about, God bless all those who serve and have served in our armed forces...

[Plymouthy Adams]

Roll Call..........all vets

US Army 1971-1975

US Air Force Reserves 1986-2003

Retired US Air Force Reserves..

A salute to each and every one of you..!!

[aero3113]

My father was a vietnam vet (first cav US army). One day about 3 years ago I got a phone call at my house from a guy looking for my father. He was not home at the time so I asked if I could help, The guy told me that he was in the army in vietnam with my father and has been trying to locate him for a while. He was calling to thank my father for saving his life. He told me the whole story of what had happened and I could not believe that my father did this for this man and other soldiers also in the same battle. My father was wounded during his efferts to help. He never received the purple heart for what he did.The men that he saved contacted the government and wrote letters to tell them the story of what happened. Last year he received the purple heart!!!

[John Mulders]

Think that is another quality of a hero, they don't shout from the rooftops that they did something great for someone else.

Happy veterans day from the Curacao !

John

[randroid]

MM2, USN

!965-69

Two 'Nam tours; '67, '68.

-Randy

(For the 'Nam Vets who've never heard it, Welcome Home!)

[PatS....]

My Thanks to all the Veterans for what you did and still do for your countries.

We take our freedoms for granted, but freedom is very very expensive. Lots of folks want to take it away from us.

Thanks again.

[Paul Beard]

Happy Veterans Day to all.

Paul Beard

US Navy

"67" - "70"

USS Thomaston LSD 28

[Frank Elder]

Thank you Vets !

AMH2

CV-62 USS Independence

CVN-69 USS Eisenhower

[Frank M.]

Happy Vets Day

U.S.Navy.

Three Cruisers

USS St.Louis

USS Wichita

USS San Francisco

[55 Fargo]

Happy Veterans Day you guys, glad you made it home from the wars and active service, and your on this forum sharing your experience and knowledge with the rest of us............Fred

[daddyo23]

Thanks to all vets. My dad was in Korea. He was an engineer, said he never had to shoot his gun but got shot at alot.I joined the Navy in '74 but before I went I had a car accident and lost part of my leg. They wouln't take me after that. Wayne P.

[Don Jordan]

Don Jordan

USMC

1st Marine Air Wing

Marine Aircraft Group 12

Chu Lai 68 - 69

MAG 12 bomb dump

It was a whole different time.

[Dan Hiebert]

US Army, 3rd ID and 82nd ABN Divisions. CIB, PH, ARCOM w/ V & 2 OLC, ARACM w/ 3 OLC.

Grandfather and "Step Grandfather" were both WWI vets, Grandpa was wounded at Chateau Thierry (same outfit I served in - 3rd Infantry Division) and met Grandma while recouperating at Bellview Army Hospital in Illinois where Grandma was an Army nurse - otherwise I wouldn't be here. Only one US WWI veteran alive today - Frank Buckles. Saddening, the last of my Grandfathers' brothers in arms.

[aero3113]

I googled his name,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Buckles, very interesting

[Don Coatney]

Don Coatney

Vietnam Vet US Army 1966-1968

[1940plymouth]

Air Force '68-'72

[Merle Coggins]

Thank you all. I didn't serve, but I truely appreciate those who have. Thank you.

Did I say Thank You?

Merle

[Young Ed]

Thanks to everyone here and even though they wont see it thanks to my friends and family in the service. This is my first cousin Bill. He died in Iraq just under 2 years ago. He wasn't actually in the military but I still remember him today.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Young Ed

[randroid]

Folks,

US Navy

Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club, 1967 & 1968

-Randy