Thirty-six years ago, Capt. Ed W. Freeman, a flight leader and
second-in-command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, flew his unarmed
helicopter through enemy fire to deliver ammunition, water and medical
supplies to an infantry battalion engaged in battle in what was then the
Republic of Vietnam.
"He served his country and his comrades to the fullest, rising
above and beyond anything the Army or the nation could have ever
asked," Bush said.
The president draped the Medal of Honor around the neck of Freeman, of
Boise, Idaho, in a brief ceremony before other medal winners, Freeman's
family, government officials and members of Congress.
According to the citation, Freeman "supported a heavily engaged
American infantry battalion" in the la Drang Valley.
The infantry 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," the citation
reads.
"When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone,
due to intense direct enemy fire, Capt. Freeman risked his own life."
According to the citation, "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 experienced a much greater loss of life."
The citation said 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."
Bush said that while Freeman initially won the Distinguished Flying
Cross for his actions, his commanding officer and other witnesses always
believed he deserved an even higher honor.
The president credited Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, himself a decorated
Vietnam veteran, with persuading Congress to award the highest medal to
Freeman.
McCain, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld and other senior officials witnessed the presentation.
After his retirement from the Army, Freeman served as a pilot for the
Interior Department, retiring for a second time in 1991.
Monday's ceremony was the first time Bush has handed out the Medal of
Honor.
