30. Ed “Too Tall” Freeman Fought in Three Wars
Ed “Too Tall” Freeman was among those who fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He dropped out of high school to join the US Navy during WWII, and ended up serving aboard the USS Cacapon, an oil tanker that supplied the American advance in the Pacific. It took him through operations in the Solomons, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Discharged from the Navy after the war, Freeman graduated high school, then enlisted in the Army in 1948. Two years later, he was a first sergeant in Korea, fighting in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill. Out of 257 Americans at the start of that battle, Freeman was one of only 14 survivors. His conduct earned him a battlefield commission and command of a company, which he promptly led back up Pork Chop Hill. With two wars under his belt, Freeman bided his time to fight in a third.