David J. (Dave) Freeman completed Navigation training at Selman Field, Louisiana and was commissioned a Second lieutenant March 18, 1944.
Dave was sent to European theater of Operations and assigned to the 721st bomb Squadron, 450th Bomb Group (H) of the 15th Air Force at Manduria, Italy. Between June and December 1944, he completed fifty combat missions that included heavily defended targets at Budapest, Munich, Vienna and Ploesti. During this period, he was promoted to First Lieutenant and awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After World War II, Dave continued to serve in the United States Air Force Reserve and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.