Oral History Interview: David Freeman

                                    
Pop Up Archive Item: “Oral History Interview: David Freeman” : https://www.popuparchive.com/collections/3496/items/24401

Transcript for file: davidfreeman2008-03-19.mp3

00:00:00

tell me your full name please and your relationship to the bishop Kroger 

okay hi my name is Dave Freeman singer 

my dad is Bishop Theodore Anthony Freeman singer 

that’s pretty lights 

daddy tell me about what you know of your tell me when you first saw your father 

talk about being a serving in World War 2 when you first start to hear stories 

00:00:30

over the years Deadwood talk about the different time of being in the military 

military we have Thea encyclopedia I would pull it out 

what you know I was in World War II we knew that he was in ww2 

to my brothers and I had two older one younger we know about him just being in the Navy 

in the Navy but that was about it and we knew that he had been to lock 

the Pearl Harbor area that was all we knew he really didn’t 

really didn’t talk much about it and then a year or so before the 

00:01:05

the project started on the World War II organizations 

it was nice because he started to tell us a little more and found out that he was not 

does not have in the war with him that we knew that he was 

he was working at saya I cook books are in the system 

one of the service because they were limited home with a cat with African Americans in the military 

military and that he told her that he serve the captains and the Kings 

10 things and I was about it when he started to become a little more in depth as we ask more questions 

00:01:40

more questions about what what ship were young redheads have big mouths 

where has a big mouth what was it like to be a little late start to explain 

explain to her that was the USS Missouri USS Missouri 

will based on things with red in history process when we were young nude it was a lot of 

fighting at that ticklish up there and then dad really start to open up 

and we found out that he had not just a job as a yacht 

person serving captives on the ship by also had a second job working 

00:02:15

working the guns hand that we started to find out the stories about 

Bob how widen when he was involved in 

and I’m working the gun that that there was a kamikaze pilot 

fathead. Act - it hand whistle 

what did you do this is where we demand this week at family ending in MO 

and find out later that duh kamikaze 

the pilot that actually struck the ship Ashley struck 

00:02:50

who struck his gun torrent and I started this 

describe in detail which let me know that it was something that had 

happy stuck in his mind he was 19 years old and met a very impressive Olathe pet 

time and to experience the death of another individual with us 

what was the first time I ever seen my brother passed away and so he described 

describe in detail and the way he describe it as I can describe to you 

the detail you could see the picture of the pilot was swing around 

00:03:25

psy coming in at them in their firing hurt during Emma left of the original 

all your hearing is blasting and blasting in all of the sudden that 

airplane slams into the Grand Tour there machine gun the pilots machine gun 

girls get stuck in their gun torrent half of the plane 

falls into the ocean along with half of the year pilot the other half 

stocking and up falling onto the deck of the ship that S 

vivid 

00:04:00

when you say when your father started to share more details with you in the last year 

did you or relationship with him 

can change in any way to the way you see him change and what was the impact on U of H is sharing of his 

kiss service no it didn’t change 

chains that much because I have a strong love for my father 

father as my brothers and I did but we have started to understand why 

why he never spoke of these things I’m not sure if it was because he felt that we would be a 

00:04:35

I wouldn’t be able to handle it or he wanted to wait until we were older so we wouldn 

so we would understand it but I know it we love them 

no matter what but the find out that it went through such a tough time and 

came through and only Moroccan the Sleep Inn without data 

scratch that that this medice 111 Livermore 

and you know why he started to open up 

who said well you walk thats help with starting to 

00:05:10

no tear aid a little bit in sometimes you know 

you know that the communication is the best tool to find out what’s going on 

what’s going on with an individual as opposed to say write out your feelings sometimes you can 

Express interview. Much quicker verbally than you can 

the letter R some kind of writings are taping and we start 

we started to talk with him Lauryn say when you know what happened on that s*** f*** damn thats a little more data 

what were your duties in a 97 Toyota I was this 

00:05:45

hehe did the different things that have to do but we could see that his house was starting to terrier 

terrier and as the second McCabe around for him to talk 

proper we notice how you started to have a little more energy 

is it was starting to it was starting to see more here 

is kind of like going down a little bit for us 

so tell me it was actually you are suggestion I think that that really land to us being able to see 

able to speak with your father tell us how that came about when there’s a gentleman that was 

00:06:20

buy new name Dave Noreen and I we were talking one 

Danny said that they are thinking about doing a segment on F World War II 

Hyster are people that were in world war 2 end 

I said well my dad was in ww2 and I describe to him the different things that I 

phat daddy just recently started sharing and with that 

that we decided hey let’s give dad a call and see if you’d be interested 

Pennywise and there is some 

00:06:55

Telus little more about what was it like them to prepare for is a nerve 

interview today share any of that with you dad preparing for the end 

the interview we all of the sudden found that that had the 

posters of let me rephrase that he had 

drawings of MacArthur which was 

what was the name of a general in death at all so happy 

a large scale portrait Aldi 

00:07:30

at the signing of the surrender that just 

that’s just wasn’t in on the USS Missouri as a 

person serving the captains Anna Gunn how working with a gun turret 

the also was there when they signed the 

what we want to call that I surrender the surrender and that if it nearest beer store 

Torey Hayden get to tell but the first sign 

signing that they did they had to redo it because of this 

00:08:05

the Japanese signed in the wrong place and they were all gif 

I’ll give it all the members of the ship with given an actual copy of the original where it was Friday 

 

finding the correct place but he started to pull out lots of memorabilia 

so you got to see some things that you didn’t know yet if 

and if you make those drawings is he an artist as well that is a great artist that is one of those back 

is there people that can drive you and you look like yourself from the actual 

00:08:40

12 /7 little spots on your face if you have them 

is it that great of an artist anything I’ve seen some 

some of his drawings at 6 since the program has started to pull out I can do 

The Woodlands scene suggest spectacular but he loves doing puzzles 

hot dad will pull out the puzzle 

puzzle that says 5000 pieces a twerkaholic 

I think God for his patience and get it now 

00:09:15

and how old is your phone I know if I’m correct that is about 82 

what are there impacted how is your father prepare to talk today 

how to Double O TV for his interview at all other things did you notice that he’s doing 

well that the started to become a little more spry 

are bubbly wanting to talk with us discuss things are also contact us 

cactus groups of individuals that have been on the Missouri 

because he’s got started contacting the different organizations 

00:09:50

within the military of retired military people I mean he actually started 

Dona lot more than just kind of 

waiting for his time 

things that sleep gave him that the 

I want that I need that ability to express himself Ray was a table 

able to before I think I think 

thinking my words one of the first part of that sentence can you tell if you can what you felt WL gave your father with 

00:10:25

Hollywood this opportunity and hope they gave him a chance to 

really express his viewpoint on in before 

4 people would just hear him now that listening to him without 

attitude or without the air what I say 

without criticizing 

I mean it he was we realize with dad that he is not just 

I just gone into the military when the way he was speaking things apart of 

00:11:00

part of history I think I think of it a member of your family 

your family is a part of history and not just history but American history 

history and part of the military the privateer 

scrape family in the Father and he came to the 

rental event that we had I saw you in heaven 

ocean in the audience tell me what what 

is that also part of this sort of changing your father is it wrong 

00:11:35

when we went to see the Tuskegee Airmen in a rental when will 

I put on their program there god that was able to Sydney audience of the listen and 

later on I get a chance to talk with some of the Tuskegee Airmen and explain to him that he had that ended 

attended Tuskegee University and so that was a great time for that video of the talk about 

talk about that all you know the location where is the fact that he worked in the military base while they were 

how they were actually training at different times I made him feel good 

it was changing him because Dad was always sitting at home except for going to 

00:12:10

well his schooling because it was an adult that he was normal 

when are we just going to sit at home but all the sudden we would try to call them 

and we have to try to catch them on the cell phone because they were at the museum 

MLP for this is important that have been living in Rantoul 

never let go to the museum never 

because of the turmoil of that day 

day that he is experienced with the a kamikaze pilot 

00:12:45

now he was going after the Tuskegee Airmen and Wolf sex video 

big a programmer dad was going we call them to see what they were doing hanging out with 

what’s the skinny guys and gals in oak when to go flying with a little later 

little later it was like wait what about us 

do you have to get on your dad’s appointment book yes they were quite this 

this is retarded well we’ll meet you for breakfast gotta catch you later 

hang out with a group by their getting one of the other planes and then we’re going to go check that out to 

00:13:20

welcome to go over to visit some of the middle men 

men at the what is at in Danville the VA hospital 

Hospital cuz there is some people if they knew there in a fight 1 

cause when you get a chance he was a result of him 

being invited to tell his story it make that big of a difference in 

difference if you allow him to express his true feelings and Sheri 

ensure his heart but the world in a way that I have never been able to express it before 

00:13:55

por and this one has pieces on tele 

on television do you should share that experience together what would you do 

well we call the round all the relative and the 

this quite a few with my grandmother had 3650 this area 

and that’s call the relativistic told him it was coming on 

I love those I get a chance to see if and later on lyrics to show them to DVD 

they were standing up and cheering in Ohio 

00:14:30

happy here at the end of his presentation to kind of funny stuff 

email my dad ok these are his nieces and nephews I want is it 

I want to take him out to dinner Xpress that take care 

redhead just enough to touch that is disabled 

falling up then and now with prices he’s not that kind of a bed bug 

the palace it was heartfelt greyhound 

so this was with you right now in March and this was the event for September 9th 

00:15:05

and I think the new center fielder father before a month or so before that how is your father now 

are now is discontinued is he he’s he’s doing better 

well he still trying to get to you think about I listen to 

The Hobbit news Ohio now what about that I listen to the news live 

how the gentlemen and ladies are coming back from Iraq 

and how they try to get medical benefits and he’s a man that serve 

what’s served in World War II and you still haven’t gotten his benefits buddy struggling 

00:15:40

what is getting their benefits 

there’s a lot of stories in here when I getting really f****** in 10 Things I can tell there’s a lot 

Stilwell ok well this is in their head 

where is the moon pretty