[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7424-7425]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING MRS. CLARISSA (T.C.) FREEMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 25, 2016

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of my friend, Mrs. Clarissa (T.C.) Freeman. T.C. passed away last 
Thursday morning after a long, courageous battle. She was a personal 
friend, but more importantly, she was a friend to every man and woman 
who wears our Nation's uniform. Her dedication to the United States 
Army endured throughout her life and her distinguished record of 
service to our country has left a lasting impression on everyone who 
knew her.
  This point became abundantly clear during her funeral service over 
the weekend where several hundred people came to pay their respects to 
the woman affectionately known as ``Fort Campbell's Mom.'' Among those 
was General Richard A. Cody, former Vice Chief of Staff of the United 
States Army and former Commanding General of the 101st Airborne 
Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, who provided the eulogy. 
General Cody's remarks perfectly captured what made T.C. so special to 
us, and with his permission, I share his words again today:
  ``As we gather here today to celebrate the life and the gift of T.C. 
Freeman, I have the distinct privilege and honor of putting into words 
and trying to capture a very extraordinary human being and how she 
touched each and every one of us. As difficult as this is, I hope my 
thoughts and words represent the feelings of so many of you.
  In describing T.C. Freeman many cliches come to mind, like ``one of a 
kind--a true force of nature--a friend to all and a stranger to none--
small in stature but larger than life.'' She was those things--but T.C. 
was anything but cliche. We will never meet another T.C. Freeman. She 
wore many hats, played many roles--as she championed her many causes; 
every one of them having to do with Soldiers, their families, her 
beloved 101st Airborne Division, the 160th Special Operations Aviation 
Regiment, and 5th Special Forces Group. She was an untiring champion of 
all of Fort Campbell and we will all feel a little bit lost without her 
in our lives.
  The list of her accomplishments is significant and long--T.C. has 
been honored here within the gates of Fort Campbell and this 
community--in the Corridors of the Pentagon--and in the Halls of 
Congress. I believe most of you know all of her awards and honors--but 
a list of things does not fully define a person--especially a T.C. 
Freeman. What this amazing woman left behind is far greater than the 
awards and accolades she received here on earth. She left a legacy in 
Generations of Soldiers and Families--past, present and future. That is 
why we all have gathered here today--many of you traveling great 
distances to be here--We are Her Legacy.
  T.C. was a devoted wife to Bobby for 55 years, loving him, following 
him, and supporting him in his Army career, and a devoted mother to 
Gil, William, and Robert. A true military family with both sons serving 
and their daughter, an Army wife. Later T.C. reveled in the 
accomplishments of their 3 grandchildren--Clytie, Richard and Sarah. We 
thank each of you--her family--for sharing her with us for all these 
years.
  I first met the Freemans in 1984 . . . Bobby was still on active 
duty, the Garrison Commander of the 101st and T.C. was not just any 
Army wife, but the epitome of an Army wife. Like others in her 
generation, she saw being a supportive Army wife as a privilege and an 
honor that carried with it the responsibility of passing on the 
traditions of Army life to the next generation of wives. As a young 
major's wife, new to the 101st Airborne Division, my wife Vicki, like 
so many others, found a role model in T.C. Freeman. And that was just 
the beginning of a long and enduring friendship.
  In the early years--As an Army wife to Bobby--she sent him off to war 
and welcomed him home from Viet Nam. Later she would remind us all how 
important it is to take care of the Families of our deployed Soldiers 
and to give a Hero's Welcome to our returning Soldiers--something that 
was not done for our Viet Nam Veterans. T.C. vowed that would not 
happen again and was part of the driving force behind hundreds of 
Welcome Home Ceremonies beginning after Desert Storm, continuing 
through the 90's and the Kosovo rotations, and currently the 
deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. At any hour of the day or night, 
you would find T.C. at Hangar One talking to our waiting Families, 
setting up refreshments, offering advice, encouragement, and thanks. 
Once the official ceremony was over and the Families left the bleachers 
to embrace their Soldier, T.C. watched for any Soldier who did not have 
someone--she would walk up and hug that Soldier, saying, ``I am T.C. 
Freeman--I love you and thank you for your service . . . Welcome 
home!'' She was tireless in her commitment to our returning Soldiers.
  Those of us who have known T.C. for decades have watched her 
transition and change with the times . . . from Army wife to Army

[[Page 7425]]

mom to a powerful voice for Soldiers and their families. For the first 
half of her life she supported Bobby in his career, but in the second 
half, it was Bobby by her side, supporting her endeavors. What an 
inspiration for women of any generation. And through all of the years, 
all of the many changes in our Army and Fort Campbell, T.C. never lost 
sight of her true mission in life . . . to make the Army, specifically 
Fort Campbell, a better place for everyone, Soldiers and family members 
alike. She opened her home, her arms, and her heart to each and every 
one of us. Advocating for Soldiers and their families would become 
T.C.'s most important role and contribution to our Army.
  By the time we entered this new era and what is now our Nation's 
longest war with unprecedented deployments and stress on families, 
T.C.'s reach had gone far beyond the gates of Fort Campbell. As an AUSA 
Chapter president and a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, 
T.C. was able to advocate and reach even more Soldiers and families 
throughout our Army. Even with her exhausting schedule traveling to 
D.C. and beyond; she never tired of greeting planeloads of Soldiers 
returning to Campbell Army Airfield. Often driving to the airfield in 
the middle of the night, to greet a plane, she was devout and steadfast 
in her loyalty to Soldiers.
  The 101st Airborne Division, with all of its tenant units, was her 
family. It was obvious to any and all of us, that she would do anything 
for her post. And how great it was for so many of us to return again 
and again, knowing that T.C. and Bobby were always there to welcome us. 
I remarked more than once that, First Ladies of the 101st come and go 
every 2 years--but T.C. Freeman was the First Lady of Fort Campbell for 
life.
  One of her many unique qualities was her ability to relate to anyone; 
Soldier or 4 star general. She was as comfortable in the hangar 
welcoming Soldiers as she was shaking hands with Senators and 
Congressmen on Capitol Hill. And as she mentored Army spouses, she was 
not above mentoring and lecturing commanding generals, to include this 
one. I always knew when T.C. began a sentence with Richard, instead of 
Dick, that I was about to get a tasking. But I didn't mind because her 
tasking always had to do with a Soldier or family member who needed 
help, had fallen through the cracks, or was getting a bad deal; it was 
never for her . . . so how could I say no? One time after one such 
tasking, I was curious and I asked her if she had already told the 
Soldier it was a done deal. She replied, ``Of course I did, Richard. 
Now you will have to figure out how to get it done!'' I couldn't help 
but laugh. She was a piece of work . . .
  But the one task I hoped never to have to do, the one thing I did not 
want to be asked came last year when she realized what was ahead of her 
. . . Her final tasking was for me to give the eulogy at her funeral. 
Not wanting to face the inevitable, I jokingly replied, ``I'll do 
yours, if you'll do mine.'' I wanted so much to turn her down, but I 
had never said no to T.C. Freeman and I wasn't about to say no for 
something so important to her. Especially when she remarked with her 
sly grin--``Besides Richard, You are an Army Aviator--and I know you 
will exaggerate . . . like you always do!''
  In her last role, she was sidelined and forced to work out of her 
bedroom for the past year. But work it she did . . . texting and 
facebooking with her many fans and admirers, both young and old. Until 
the end, she entertained her hundreds of well-wishers from her bed, 
showing us the grace and dignity that were synonymous with her.
  I hope that someday there is a bronze statue of T.C.--and I think it 
should be of her hugging a Soldier, something that she did for decades 
and something we will always remember her for. I have a feeling she is 
looking down today, very pleased with the love and support being shown 
her family but she knew that she was needed in heaven.
  On Thursday there was a Welcome Home ceremony . . . but this one was 
not in Hangar One . . . it was in Heaven. I picture her now surrounded 
by Soldiers embracing her, saying, ``We love you . . . thank you for 
your service . . . Welcome Home!''

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