Matthew C. Freeman (1980 – August 7, 2009) was an American military officer who was killed in Afghanistan.

Biography

Freeman was a third generation Navy pilot and second generation Naval Academy graduate who was killed on his first tour, while serving on an embedded training team.

After graduating from the Naval Academy in May, 2002, Freeman accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He completed The Basic School (TBS) and the Infantry Officer’s Course at Quantico, Virginia, and was certified as a Marine C-130 pilot.

Freeman was the grandson of Rear Admiral DeWitt L. Freeman, USN.

Death

On August 7, 2009, Captain Freeman advanced into the Shpee Valley of Alasai District, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan with his Embedded Training Team (ETT). The ETT was composed of Georgia National Guard Cavalry scouts, whose mission was to mentor Afghan National Army (ANA) troops. For this mission, Captain Freeman was the only Marine who advanced into the valley with the ETT and ANA soldiers.

The Shpee valley had long been known as a Taliban-held valley to Afghan civilians and soldiers, and to coalition troops. The ETT members and Captain Freeman were aware they were advancing into a Taliban stronghold. French Marines had set overwatch positions in mountains surrounding the valley the previous night, and a French AMX-10 light tank had observed and engaged Taliban fighters.

Shortly after the ETT and ANA entered the valley, approximately 60-100 Taliban insurgents fired small arms, RPGs, PKMs, and DShK machine guns (equivalent of US .50 caliber) at the advancing troops. Captain Freeman and a group of American and Afghan soldiers sought shelter in a kalat (mud-stone house inside a walled compound). Marine Captain Matt Freeman crawled on top of the roof looking for advantage points and was fatally hit by a bullet.

Legacy

Capt. Freeman was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.

Shortly before his death, Freeman asked his family to send school supplies for children in Afghanistan. The Matthew Freeman Project: Pens & Paper for Peace collects school supplies and sends them to U.S. military personnel, who, in turn give them to school children in war-torn countries.

Freeman is featured in a chapter in In the Shadow of Greatness.