GERALD (JERRY) FREEMAN

EHS Class of 1965

USAF 1966-1970

Married his High School Sweetheart Linda Eckwall. After graduating from Englewood High School in 1965 Jerry worked for Sunrise Electric Company as an apprentice electrician. When the Vietnam war escalated in 1965, he joined the Air Force. He was sent to San Antonio, Texas for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and finished his training at Perrin Air Force Base in Sherman, Texas.

Jerry married his High School sweetheart, Linda Ecwall in Sherman, Texas on July 30, 1966. As the couple expected, Jerry received orders to report to Vietnam in May of 1968. After combat training at Hamilton Air Force Base, in Northern California he left for Vietnam.

While at Phu Cat Air Base in the country of Vietnam, Jerry was assigned to the 47th Civil Engineering Squadron. Being an electrician, it was his job to make sure all the runway lights for the airfield were on and operational. The pilots depended upon those lights to lead them into and out of the base for bombing runs. If the lights weren’t working, the airplanes could not land or take off. Jerry took his job seriously! Thank you, Jerry for your service and keeping our pilots safe.

Source: Flood Middle School Facebook Group