R.I.P. Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr.

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr.
Died February 01, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

21, of Fayetteville, Pa.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Feb. 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

(Taken from www.publicopiniononline.com of Feb. 5, 2010)Marine Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr. of Fayetteville died Monday while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, according to Maj. Kelly Frushour of the Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs Office.

Frushour reported that Freeman, 21, "died as a result of a hostile incident while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan."

According to Thomas L. Geisel Funeral Home Inc., Chambersburg, he died from injuries suffered in the detonation of an improvised explosive device.

Freeman was a 2008 graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School. According to Frushour, Freeman joined the Marine Corps in August 2008, and was promoted to the rank of lance corporal on Oct. 1, 2009. He deployed to Afghanistan in October.

Freeman was a machine gunner. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Freeman's sister, Dawn Freeman, and his father, Michael Freeman Sr., said they did not want to comment on the Marine.

"We do not want to talk about this in the newspaper," Michael Sr. said Tuesday evening. "We just learned about this 14 hours ago. We want time to grieve in private. We understand what you're trying to do, but we want time to grieve."

Freeman's awards include the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Frushour said in a press statement.