'Hard Times Create Strong Men': Final 'Band of Brothers' Easy Company Member Dead at 97

Nick Kangadis | July 8, 2022
DONATE
Text Audio
00:00 00:00
Font Size

If you know anything about yours truly, you’d know that I have a ridiculous physical media collection — over 2,000 titles. But, for me, the greatest piece of film — TV or movie — is HBO’s 2001 World War II mini-series, “Band of Brothers.” It’s just far superior to anything that Hollywood could dream of making today, and the series just lost the last of its inspiration.

In case you missed it, the last remaining member of “Easy Company” — the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division — passed away last Sunday, according to the Lowndes Funeral Home & Crematory and as reported by Breitbart.

Bradford Freeman enlisted in the U.S. Army following his high school graduation and officially became a paratrooper in 1944.

Related: WWII Vet in Tears on 100th Birthday: 'Our Country's Going to Hell in a Handbasket'

According to Breitbart:

Freeman jumped in the Normandy D-Day invasion, fought in Operation Market-Garden in German-occupied Netherlands, and took part in the Battle of Bulge in Belgium, where he was injured.

After recovering, he rejoined his company in 1945 and participated in the occupation of Berchtesgaden near the Austrian border, where Hitler’s “Eagles Nest” retreat home was located, and the occupation of Austria in the waning days of the war.

The “Greatest Generation” is leaving us, folks. And the fact that a lot of people have forgotten history has steered us on a course to repeat it. The only caveat to all the consequences of the stupidity of those in power is a time-tested, accurate quote.

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men created hard times.”

If only we could’ve kept men like Bradford Freeman around for longer, we might be better off.

Rest in peace, Sir. Enjoy Heaven with your “Band of Brothers.”

If you've never seen "Band of Brothers, which I couldn't recommend more, watch below:

 

Follow Us On Twitter

donate