LT COLONEL GARY M FREEMAN – CLASS OF 1966
LT COLONEL GARY M FREEMAN – CLASS OF 1966 Freedman, Gary M. LTC of Henry, Georgia
1944 – 2022
Freedman’s life was one of extraordinary devotion to his family, his church, Henry County, the United States, and the world. He died June 24, 2022 in Henry, Georgia.
Born in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, on January 26, 1944, he was a Distinguished Military Graduate of Western Michigan University. Upon graduation, he entered the U.S. Army, received Military Police training, and served in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he led 6 detachments in the Mekong Delta during the Tet Offensive amid nightly gunfire, mortars, rockets, and ground probes. In a second tour, Freedman underwent heavy combat at Can Tho, where he was wounded by 3 grenades and nearly lost his left arm. While Freedman successfully dispatched his enemy, he was permanently wounded. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Freedman’s military career skyrocketed after his recovery. In South Korea, by disguising himself as a chaplain, he negotiated to save 3 hostages from an attacker and was awarded The Soldier’s Medal, the highest military award for non-combat-related heroism. Due to his courageous handling of the incident, Freedman was sent to an FBI hostage course. He served in the Criminal Investigative Division at Ft. Gillem and took courses in criminology before the Pentagon nominated him for a highly-selective, highly-unique role with the United Nations.
Based in Jerusalem for 2 years, Freedman became head of an observer force in the Middle East. According to Freedman’s son, “Dad was the first ever internal investigator for the U.N. in that area. He broke up longstanding, international smuggling rings for narcotics, gold, and weapons—stuff that funded terrorism. He kept much of his work a secret his entire life, but he was involved in matters that shaped the world, including negotiating with terrorists and leaders of countries like Israel and Egypt. I recall the story of when he was thrown in Syrian jail for spying and was on Yasser Arafat and the PLO’s ‘hit-list’ to be killed. He had to check his car every day for a bomb before driving it. It was like something out of a movie. And while we were all sitting at home comfortably in the U.S., Dad was yet again on the front lines, helping ensure our peace.”
After the U.N. assignment, Freedman served with the U.S. 3rd Army, focusing on countering the Soviet Union’s influence in Yemen and Somalia. Later assignments included travel to Kenya and South America for secret missions, a three-month stint "in-country" during Desert Storm, and a leadership role with the Army Corps of Engineers. He received 27 medals in his career, also including two Bronze Stars, Paratrooper Silver Wings, and the U.N. Service Medal.
Post-retirement from the Army, Freedman served 8 years as Henry County Commissioner for District 2; President of the Council for Lord of Life Lutheran Church; and volunteer for a United Way project to help homeless veterans, Vets Connect. He supported his wife, Lynn, as she oversaw production and direction of the annual Miss Henry County Georgia scholarship pageant and Univ of Georgia’s Miss Sorority Row program. He took his only son, Chris, around the world, including to England, Italy, Spain, France, Finland, and Sweden.