MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2017 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Younger, Barnett, Blackwell, Burton, Caughman, Clarke, Dearing, Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), McDaniel, McMahan, Parker, Seymour, Wilemon
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE HISTORIC MILITARY SERVICE OF BRADFORD CLARK FREEMAN OF CALEDONIA, MISSISSIPPI, WHO SERVED WITH THE FAMOUS EASY COMPANY IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE WITH THE 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION.
WHEREAS, it is with great humility that we remember the historic military service of Bradford Clark Freeman, who was a member of the famous Easy Company in the "Band of Brothers" in America's Greatest Generation"; and
WHEREAS, Bradford Clark Freeman was born September 4, 1924, in Artesia, Mississippi, the seventh of eight children to Irving Julius Freeman and Ollie Clara Freeman. The family farmed some 400 acres of rented land, and at an early age Brad was put to work helping on the family farm. He graduated from Artesia High School in May 1942 and enrolled at Mississippi State College (now Mississippi State University) that fall. Mr. Freeman was sworn into the United States Army on December 12, 1942, and left for basic training in Fort McClellan, Alabama, in April 1943, from Camp Shelby, Mississippi, which was his induction point; and
WHEREAS, after completion of basic training at Fort McClellan, Mr. Freeman was sent to Jump School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in July of 1943. He went through Jump School with the 541st Regiment and received his wings in early November 1943. He was transferred to Camp McCall, North Carolina, and after a fourteen-day Thanksgiving leave, he arrived at Camp McCall on Thanksgiving Day, 1943. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and entered Foreign Service on February 5, 1944; and
WHEREAS, after a twelve-day Atlantic crossing on a converted grain ship and a stop at Dublin, Ireland, Mr. Freeman arrived at Aldbourne, England, in February 1944, where he was assigned to the Mortar Squad of Easy Company; and
WHEREAS, training with E Company until D-Day, Mr. Freeman parachute jumped into France in Aircraft Carrier Number 70 on June 6, 1944. Mr. Freeman parachute jumped into Holland on September 17, 1944, in Operation Market Garden, a plan by British General Montgomery to go through to Germany bypassing France, thus shortening the war. Mr. Freeman was in Holland for the entire operation, returning to Mourmelon, France on November 28, 1944. Easy Company was in Camp Mourmelon for roughly a month. On December 18, 1944, Mr. Freeman and the rest of Easy Company were loaded onto semitrailer rigs and taken to Bastogne; and
WHEREAS, arriving in Bastogne, Easy Company deployed around the perimeter where they suffered in the snow under heavy artillery and ground fire until Patton's Third Army arrived. To this day, no Trooper of the 101st will admit they were relieved, or that they needed help. They were surrounded by Germans, but as they all agreed, "We are paratroopers, we are supposed to be surrounded." After being wounded January 13, 1945, in the woods around Foy, Mr. Freeman was returned to England by way of Cherbourg, France. After four months of recovery in England, Mr. Freeman rejoined Easy Company in April at Zell am See, Austria. Mr. Freeman left Europe in early November of 1945 to return to Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944 through January 25, 1945) was the last major German offensive campaign of World War II. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France and Luxembourg, on the Western Front, toward the end of World War II, in the European Theatre. The surprise attack caught the Allied forces completely off guard. American forces bore the brunt of the attack and incurred their highest casualties of any operation during the war. Winston Churchill, addressing the House of Commons following the Battle of the Bulge said, "This is undoubtedly the Greatest American Battle of the War and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory"; and
WHEREAS, in 1944, Mr. Freeman's parents purchased land in the Village of Caledonia, Mississippi, which was their home, and moved onto this farm. After the war's end, Mr. Freeman went to his parents' home in Caledonia and worked a variety of jobs, including working on a road crew for Lowndes County, Mississippi, working as a carpenter, checking cotton, working at cotton gins and farming. In October 1954, he was hired by the United States Postal Service as a Rural Mail Carrier, a job which he had wanted since he was a little boy. He worked this job and farmed, raising crops, hay and cows until his retirement in May of 1987; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Freeman was married to the former Willie Louise Gurley on June 29, 1947. They were married for 61 years and raised two daughters, Beverly and Becky. Miss Willie passed away on October 7, 2008. They farmed and raised cotton, which they both picked by hand, to pay the hospital bills for their girls, and pay for the farm they bought in 1954; and
WHEREAS, in 1987, Mr. Freeman and Miss Willie traveled to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, to an Easy Company reunion. It was at this event that Stephen Ambrose started taping the veterans of Easy Company. These tapes and the later interviews and letters written to Ambrose were used in the writing of the book, Band of Brothers, which was subsequently made into a miniseries by Home Box Office (HBO). Today Mr. Freeman, a quiet humble man, lives on the farm in the house that he and Miss Willie bought in 1954. He spends his time gardening and playing with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and attends a number of Easy Company functions. The fame of Easy Company has not gone to his head, in fact, he will remark when someone talks of hero status that "we had a job to do and we did it"; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Freeman was presented France's Legion of Honor medal in 2016, the highest honor in the French military. A poster for the Band of Brothers says that, "This was a time when the world asked ordinary men to do extraordinary things." The members of the "Greatest Generation" and their remarkable actions during times of war and peace allowed the United States to prosper economically, politically and culturally because of their sacrifices; and
WHEREAS, his legacy is a strong and free America, and for this and for a lifetime of selfless service, a grateful nation and state thank Bradford Clark Freeman:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize the historic military service of Bradford Clark Freeman, and extend to Mr. Freeman and his family the thanks of a grateful nation and state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Bradford Clark Freeman and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.