Devotional 2-24-12

Put on the Armor of GOD - Ephesians 6: 13-17 +

Like many of you - I often find some good stuff on the computer - prayers, bible verses - stories (some true - some not) - however this is a true one.

"You are a 19 year old kid. You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle - somewhere in the Central

Highlands of Vietnam. It is 11 Nov. 1967 LZ (landing zone) X-Ray. Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (Commanding Officer) has ordered the Medevac Helicopters (also called Band-Aid Ships) to stop coming in. You are lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you are not getting out!! Your family is halfway around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you will never see them again!! As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day for you to meet JESUS!!

Then over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear the sound of a helicopter. You look up to see a Huey coming in. But..it does not seem real, because no Medevac Markings are on it. Captain Ed Freeman is coming for you. He is not a Medevac, so it is not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he is flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway. Even after the Medevac's were ordered not to come - he is coming anyway. And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors & nurses and safety. And he kept coming back!! 13 more times!! Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm. He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient - CPT Ed Freeman - U.S.Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho. May GOD bless and rest his soul.

I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we have sure heard a whole bunch about Lindsay Lohan, Dr. Murray, Jerry Sandusky, and the 72 day sham marriage. Shame on the media!!!"

One of these days I hope I meet CPT Freeman as he continues to fly one of GOD'S Golden Huey's!!!!

PAUL S. RIGGS

SFC (ret)
U.S.Army