James Shepherd Freeman (1900 – 1962) was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

admiral in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and the son of the Alabama millionaire James Stanley Freeman.

Early life

Freeman was born on April 30, 1900, in

Jasper, Alabama Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and ...

. He graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1921 before entering a career in the Navy.

Career

His assignments before World War II included as chief executive officer of the US Naval Base at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. While commander of the USS ''Alchiba'', he was assigned to bring supplies and ammunition to marines stationed in

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

. On November 28, 1942, his ship was torpedoed by two Japanese

midget submarine A midget submarine (also called a mini submarine) is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, ...

s. Freeman ordered the ''Alchibas engines turned to full throttle and ran the ship ashore, saving the lives of the crew and ensuring that the much-needed ammunition was not lost. Freeman received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for his actions. The admiral is also featured in the self-described "UFO disclosure" documentary ''Fastwalkers: They Are Here'' as the commander of a naval ship whose crew reported sitings of extraterrestrial activity at sea. In the film, Freeman is reported to have had photographs of UFOs that were supposed to be shown to other naval officers. It is unclear whether such photos existed or were ever made public.

Personal life

He was married to Dorothea Steinmann Freeman. He is often referred to as "James Freeman, Sr." to distinguish him from his son, also named Jim. His son James Shepherd Freeman, Jr., was born 1926 in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

and spent his childhood in Hawaii while his father was commanding at Pearl Harbor. He, too, entered the Naval Academy, but was later released on a medical discharge. He graduated in 1948 from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

in Alabama and, in the same year, married Betty Jeane Pierce, daughter of the newspaper publisher Edgar H. Pierce. They had five children and ten grandchildren. Freeman Jr. died in 1997 in Jasper.

Death

Freeman Snr. died on August 7, 1962, at the

Bethesda Naval Hospital The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medi ...

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, and is buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. His wife survived him.

External links

Admiral Freeman's Arlington National Cemetery online biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, James Shepherd 1900 births 1962 deaths People from Jasper, Alabama United States Navy personnel of World War II Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy rear admirals (upper half)