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2076990
Jan Durecki of the Temple Beth El Franklin Archives receives a copy of a letter
from Fred Freeman of Farmington Hills. The letter from his uncle, Fred Freeman,
an Army airman during WWII, arrived to his family after he had already died in a
plane crash in the South Pacific.
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Last Letter
Pfl can’t enjoy jewelry if it’s sitting in your safe
deposit box. Sell or borrow on it for immediate cash.
We deal in jewelry, watches, diamonds and coins.
Missive from WWII airman killed
in action now at Franklin Archives.
A Service to
Private Owners,
Banks & Estates
Coins & Jewelry
Contact Larry Allan
Barbara Lewis | Contributing Editor
**.''Nff[nXi[8m\%9\kn\\e(+D`c\8[Xdj9`id`e^_Xd#D@
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12 May 26 • 2016
2036260
O
n Memorial Day, Farmington
Hills attorney Fred Freeman
will remember his Uncle
Fred for whom he was named, an
Army airman lost in World War II at
age 21.
Freeman will read
his uncle’s last letter,
sent to Freeman’s
father and mother —
a missive made more
poignant because it
was received after
they learned about
The late Army
his death.
airman Fred
Freeman’s father,
Freeman at age Louis Freeman
21.
(Uncle Fred’s older
brother), was drafted
in 1942, but Uncle Fred was exempt.
The brothers’ father had a heart attack
in 1938 and, with Louis in the service,
Fred was considered the sole supporter
of his mother and older sister.
Embarrassed at not being part of the
war effort, Fred enlisted in 1944 and
volunteered for the Army Air Corps.
Based on Tianin Island in the South
Pacific, he served as a navigator on a
B-29 bomber nicknamed “Dream Girl”
and was killed in a plane crash on July
18, 1945.
In his last letter, dated July 15, 1945,
Fred admitted to his brother that he
hadn’t told their parents he was in the
air corps. “I see no reason why they
should sweat out these missions, and
I will continue to keep it from them
until I am back home again.”
He also wished for an end to war.
“Let’s hope to hell that our kids
never have to see any of this stuff
because the both of us now realize
what war and fighting really is, and
it is not for a world as far ahead in
civilization as we are now,” Fred wrote.
“Can only hope in the future years to
come, man will have enough wisdom
to avert this … damn thing.”
Three days later, he was dead.
Freeman’s father saved the letter and
showed it to him when he was in his
40s. The letter passed to Freeman, now
66, after his parents died.
Last Thanksgiving, Freeman
and his wife, Evelyn, members of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield, were in Washington, D.C.,
visiting their son Dan, a civil rights
attorney.
During a visit to the Smithsonian
museum, Freeman thought about
donating his uncle’s letter. The
Smithsonian wasn’t interested and
neither was the National Museum
of American Jewish History in
Philadelphia.
Then Evelyn remembered the Rabbi
Leo M. Franklin Archives at Temple
Beth El in Bloomfield Township.
Archivist Jan Durecki was happy to
accept a copy of the letter, along with a
photo of Uncle Fred.
“I’m glad to know the letter and
picture will be preserved and my
uncle’s sacrifice will be remembered,”
Freeman said.
The Franklin Archives has been
designated as the custodial reposi-
tory for archives of the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States of
America, Department of Michigan.
The collection includes service-related
photographs, letters, diaries and oral
histories of Jewish members of the
armed forces.
Anyone interesting in contribut-
ing material can contact archivist Jan
Durecki at Temple Beth El, (248) 851-
1100, ext. 3137.
*