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Bradford Freeman, last surviving ‘Band of Brothers’ member, dead at 97
On Sunday, Bradford Freeman passed away at the age of 97. Freeman was the last survivor of Easy Company from the 506th Infantry Regiment as portrayed in “Band of Brothers.”
Freeman’s obituary, written by his children, was published in a local newspaper. It read in part, “Our dad was always astounded that a country boy from Mississippi was able to see so many places and meet so many interesting people.”
It continued, “After the war, he returned to Caledonia and married Willie Louise Gurley on June 29, 1947, and worked as a mail carrier for 32 years.”
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Freeman enlisted during World War II and volunteered for Airborne school at the age of 18. He was then assigned to E Company, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne.
The legendary veteran jumped into Normandy behind enemy lines as part of the D-Day invasion, fought valiantly in Operation Market Garden, and was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge.
Stephen E. Ambrose, historian at the University of New Orleans wrote “Band of Brothers”, a story that followed Easy Company’s parachute training in Georgia to their landing in France, and their heroic fighting in some of the most historic and critical battles in World War II’s European theater. In 2001, HBO releases a miniseries by the same name produced in part by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
Bradford Freeman, rest easy brother, until our next “Rendezvous with Destiny.”
Photo courtesy of Lowndes Funeral Home
