[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 45 (Monday, March 16, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3409-H3410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MAJOR ED W. FREEMAN POST OFFICE

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1284) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the 
``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1284

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. MAJOR ED W. FREEMAN POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, 
     Mississippi, shall be known and designated as the ``Major Ed 
     W. Freeman Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction 
over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present for 
consideration H.R. 1284, a bill to designate the United States Postal 
Facility located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the 
``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office Building.''
  Introduced by my friend, Representative Gene Taylor, on March 3, 
2009, and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee 
on March 10, 2009, by voice vote, H.R. 1284 enjoys the support of the 
entire Mississippi House delegation.
  Born in Neely, Mississippi, on November 20, 1927, Major Ed W. Freeman 
proudly served his country in the United States Army as a fixed and 
rotary wing aircraft pilot. On July 16, 2001, President George W. Bush 
presented Major Freeman with the Medal of Honor--the United States 
military's highest commendation--in recognition of his brave actions 
during the Vietnam War.
  Major Freeman began his distinguished military career at the age of 
17, with 2 years of service in the United States Navy during World War 
II. He subsequently joined the United States Army, serving in Germany 
for 4 years before being deployed to Korea.
  Notably, Major Freeman received his well-familiar nickname of ``Too 
Tall'' after being told that he was too tall to serve as an Army pilot. 
However, he quickly dispelled this notion by becoming one of the Army's 
finest helicopter pilots.
  Major Freeman's bravery, dedication, and flying skills were never 
more evident than on November 14, 1965, during the battle of Ia Drang, 
at Landing Zone X-Ray, in Vietnam. As noted in his Medal of Honor 
citation, Major Freeman ``distinguished himself by numerous acts of 
conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity'' as a member of 
Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division.
  Specifically, as a flight leader and second-in-command of a 16-
helicopter lift unit, then-Captain Freeman supported a heavily engaged 
American battalion at the Landing Zone in the Ia Drang Valley by 
``flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time 
after time, delivering critically needed ammunitions, water, and 
medical supplies to the besieged battalion.''
  Additionally, Major Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions which 
resulted in the lifesaving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously 
wounded soldiers. Major Freeman's Medal of Honor citation goes on to 
note that his ``selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary

[[Page H3410]]

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.''
  Major Freeman's heroic acts in the Ia Drang Valley were subsequently 
immortalized in the Mel Gibson film We Were Soldiers.
  While he retired from the military in 1967 and moved to Idaho with 
his beloved wife, Barbara, and sons, Mike and Doug, Major Freeman did 
not give up flying--as he went to work for the Department of the 
Interior's Office of Aircraft Services. Upon his official retirement in 
1991, Major Freeman had logged more than 25,000 hours of flying time.
  Regrettably, Major Freeman passed away in August of last year at the 
age of 80.
  Mr. Speaker, let us honor Major Freeman and his service to our 
country through the passage of this legislation. I urge my colleagues 
to join me in passing H.R. 1284, and dedicating the McLain Post Office 
after this distinguished veteran.
  I reserve the balance of our time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1284, to designate the 
facility of the United States postal service located at 103 West Main 
Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post 
Office.''
  Major Freeman perhaps balances the three initiatives here today--a 
young soldier; an inspirational young man who died far too young of 
cancer; and, thirdly, a man who lived a full and complete life but who 
gave and gave and gave.
  Major Freeman was born on November 20, 1927, in Mississippi. Before 
graduating from high school, as many of his generation, often called 
America's finest generation, young Freeman enlisted in the Navy, and 
served 2 years before returning home to Mississippi, graduating from 
high school, and deciding to return to the military; this time, to the 
Army.
  During the Korean War, Ed Freeman rose to the rank of master sergeant 
in an Army engineer unit, and did his battles in many places, including 
the battle immortalized as Pork Chop Hill, and was then awarded a 
Battlefield Commission.
  As was earlier mentioned, Major Freeman was too tall to be initially 
allowed to be a pilot. At 6'4", he was certainly a big target for the 
infantry, I might say, too. But with his perseverance, he eventually 
attended flight school until the regulation changed in 1955. But he 
kept that nickname, ``Too Tall'' Freeman. He carried it through the 
rest of his military career.
  After winning his wings, Major Freeman began to fly fixed-wing 
aircraft and later switched to helicopters. In 1965, he was sent to 
Vietnam and served in Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, of 
the famous 1st Calvary Division.
  On November 14, 1965, Major Freeman's helicopters carried a battalion 
into battle in the Ia Drang Valley, which became the first major 
confrontation between large U.S. forces and North Vietnamese regulars. 
For that, he received a number of commendations for his willingness to 
fly into the face of this heavy combat while dealing with casualties, 
going in and out and running low on supplies and fuel.
  Major Freeman volunteered to fly into the battle area, risking his 
own life, delivering critically needed ammunition, water, and medical 
supplies to a battalion on the ground.
  In all, Major Freeman carried out 14 separate rescue missions. For 
these actions, Major Freeman was awarded the Congressional Medal of 
Honor on July 16, 2001, by President George W. Bush. A few months 
later, Major Freeman visited the White House again for the premier of 
We Were Soldiers, a 2002 feature film that depicted his role in the 
battle that day.
  We will miss ``Too Tall.'' We will miss his generation.
  Mr. Freeman died in Boise, Idaho, on August 20, 2008, from 
complications of Parkinson's disease, and is survived by his wife of 54 
years, Barbara Freeman, and his sons, Mike and Doug.
  Mr. Speaker, naming a post office after a man who gave and gave and 
gave to his country the way Major Freeman did is little enough to do. 
Today, recognizing his life and contribution, too, is little enough to 
do for one of the last of America's finest generations.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the lead 
sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. 
Taylor).
  Mr. TAYLOR. I want to thank the gentlemen from Massachusetts and 
California for their very timely consideration of this. I want to thank 
all the members of the Mississippi House delegation for cosponsoring 
it.
  Gentlemen, there really isn't anything that remains to be said. I 
think you all did a phenomenal job of honoring Ed Freeman's life. The 
only thing I would ask is that his Medal of Honor citation be included 
in the Congressional Record.
  Thank you for the timely consideration.

   Medal of Honor Citation, Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army

       For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of 
     his life above and beyond the call of duty:
       Captain Ed W. 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). 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 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. 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. 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. 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, 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. 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.

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would urge the passage of H.R. 
1284, recognizing a Medal of Honor winner, a great American, one who 
has lived a long life and contributed a great deal to our country. 
Again, I urge support for H.R. 1284.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, again, I simply want to thank Mr. Taylor of 
Mississippi and, again, I want to urge all Members to support H.R. 
1284.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1284.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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