Floyd M. Freeman

Floyd M. Freeman, 88, of Ocean Springs, MS passed away peacefully Sunday, July 7, 2013 after a long illness at the V.A. Community Living Center in Biloxi, MS. Mr. Freeman was a World War II veteran. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941 at the age of 17 subsequent to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, (where his older brother Mike was serving and lost an eye). He was slight of build, and at first was refused enlistment, and indicates that he begged the recruitment office to take him, which was finally done. After six weeks in boot camp in San Diego, CA where he made one of the highest scores in his group, he was then deployed to Pensacola Naval Air Station and after a few days at home in Blountstown, FL, he was transferred to the Marines as a medic and sent to Solomon Isle, MD for further training. He was subsequently deployed to Maui, Hawaii and from that staging area, deployed into the Pacific Theater. He was in the first waves of the landings on Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He was a medic charged with going out onto the battle field, supplying whatever first aid possible and transporting the wounded back to the field medical facilities. After that duty, his unit was prepared for the invasion of the Japanese homeland, when the nuclear weapons were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, ending the war. After the war ended in 1945, he went back home to Blountstown, FL and attended Frink High School where he graduated in 1948. He married Lillian (Shelton) Freeman and enlisted in the Air Force in 1948 and was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, FL for approximately a year before being transferred to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He subsequently went back to Bartow, FL, then to San Marcus Air Force Base in Texas, and then in 1953 to Korea, where he served a year in the Korean Conflict. He was transferred to Keesler Air Force Base, in Biloxi, MS, in 1956 where he remained a medic and medical supervisor throughout his career. He retired as a Staff Sergeant in 1974. Mr. Freeman was a Baptist and an ardent studier of the Bible. His hobbies included fishing, reading about and studying plants and animals, working on old cars, and collecting scrap metal. He is preceded in death by his mother, Lula Mae Woodell; his father, Oscar Freeman; his maternal grandparents, Mark Woodell and Victoria Lamb; his paternal grandparents, William Freeman and Francis Mason; and his siblings, Marvin Freeman, Moulton Freeman, Monroe Freeman, Myrtle Freeman Mayo, Addie Mae Freeman Spoon, Mildred Freeman Cain, Myrsteel (Mike) Freeman, Melburn (Mark) Freeman, and Oliff (Oley) Freeman. His survivors include his wife of 64 years, Lillian (Shelton) Freeman; his children, Kenneth (Gilda Seymour) Freeman, Ellen (John Ray) Vaughan, Vic (Darlene) Freeman, Mark (Leigh) Freeman, Lynn (Connie) Freeman, and David “Billy” Freeman; his grandchildren, Gia (Josh) Wiener, Angus (Beverly) Catchot, Jr., Tricia (Lavon) Capers, Melanie Fulton, Jeremy Freeman, Leslie Ladner, LauraLee Diaz, Helen (Mickie) Sellers, Heather (Chris) Grantham, Ashley Freeman, and Jonathan Freeman; his great-grandchildren, Anders, Savannah, Angus III, Ty, David, Kyle, Jenna, Coryn, Colby, Connor, Colton, M’Leigh, Marley, Logan, Aubrey, Kody, and Kylee; and his sister, Ruth Freeman Graham of Port St. Joe, FL. Graveside Services with full military honors will be held at Biloxi National Cemetery on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Tony Graham officiating. The Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.