Brian Freeman laid to rest

TEMECULA ---- Standing next to his son's casket, Randy Freeman choked back the tears as he recited lines from a classic military poem, which now reflected the harsh reality in his life.

"It is a soldier who defends the flag," he recited. "And it is the soldier whose coffin is draped by the flag."

On Thursday morning, Old Glory lay atop the coffin of Army Reserves Capt. Brian S. Freeman, who died serving her.

More than 300 people filled an outdoor tent at Temecula's Ponte Winery for the funeral of Freeman, who was killed on Jan. 20 in Karbala, Iraq, during an ambush attack by insurgents who disguised themselves as Americans and attacked the Iraqi provincial office.

The 31-year-old Freeman was remembered as a father, a son, a soldier, an athlete and man willing to serve his family, his community and his country.

Randy Freeman, choking back tears, told the audience the loss of his son was an unfair fate ---- one that no parent is ever prepared for. But as he reflected back, a lifetime of memories came together to paint the picture of the special person Brian Freeman had grown to become.

"Tonight when you look up at the heavens, there will be one more star: It will be Brian with the Lord," Randy Freeman said. "And because of that light, the world will not be as dark."

During the two-hour funeral service, Freeman was described as a man for whom bravery was measured in many ways, including his courage to "speak truth to power." That willingness to stand up and say what was true, was something that endeared him to two U.S. senators who visited Iraq in December 2006.

Just before Christmas, Freeman cornered Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and John Kerry, D-Mass., at a Baghdad helicopter-landing zone. Freeman told them the war was going badly, as troops were stretched so thin they were doing tasks they never dreamed of, let alone trained for.

"He was the kind of person you don't forget," Dodd told the Washington Post on Monday. "You mention the number dead ---- 3,000 ---- the 22,000 wounded, and you almost see the eyes glaze over. But you talk about an individual like this, who was doing his job, a hell of a job, but was also willing to talk about what was wrong, it's a way to really bring it to life, to connect."

One of Freeman's last deeds in Iraq was to help a young boy, the son of an Iraqi police officer. Freeman worked to get the boy, Ali, who had a heart condition, and his father visas to the United States so Ali could receive medical treatment.

Robert Peterson, Freeman's brother-in-law, said that one week after Brian's death, the Iraqi father and son received their visas and would soon be arriving in New York for the life-saving operation.

"Brian knew that one person could make a difference. To him, the status quo wasn't good enough," Peterson said. "He knew helping one person would reverberate positively through a community more than any one large-scale project ever would."

Tim Marvich, Freeman's best friend and fellow cadet at West Point, shared some of the happier memories during the service. Marvich spoke of a time when Freeman "helped" him pack his duffle bag for a deployment to Texas. To Marvich's surprise, that included a pair of polyester plaid pants and a "pinkish" Hawaii T-shirt, "which of course is what every soldier needs in Texas."

Marvich, who lives in Temecula and also worked with Freeman, also recalled the time Freeman decided, almost out of the blue, that he wanted to race bobsleds. Freeman went on to become an Army World Class Athlete and won the bronze medal as a four-man sled brakeman at the 2002 American Cup race.

"Not many people had the bravery to try something like that (bobsledding) or had the skill to succeed at it," Marvich said.

Mike Freeman, who is no relation, but had worked with Freeman, spoke on behalf of the family after the service.

"Charlotte (Freeman's widow) wanted to thank the community for all the support during the past two weeks; it has been overwhelming, in a good way," Mike Freeman said. "She wants to send her condolences to the families of the other four soldiers who also died during the attack that killed Brian. She also asks to be given some time to grieve."

Freeman was killed at the governmental headquarters in the Karbala attack, according to military officials, while the other four soldiers were kidnapped and executed in a nearby city.

Freeman married Charlotte in 1994. The couple, who has lived in Temecula since 2004, has two children, Gunnar who will turn 3 in March, and daughter Ingrid, 14 months. Freeman worked at KB Home in Temecula as a project manager before he was called to duty last year.

Freeman graduated from Torrey Pines High School in San Diego in 1993. He was later accepted to West Point, where he graduated in 1999.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered the flags at the capital to be flown at half-staff for 72 hours in honor of Freeman.

The Rev. Tammy Miller of Seaside Church in Encinitas tried to offer solace for those who were grieving the loss of Freeman.

"When one leaves early in life, they become a great teacher," she said. "Find comfort, because life is eternal, and this was just one short stop along the way."

Miller added that Freeman's death did not mean finality.

"What a caterpillar calls the end of the world, God calls a butterfly."

From the Californian

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