Sergeant John D Freeman
John David Freeman was born on May 19th, 1919 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania to David Freeman and Henrietta Stine, their fourth child. Five more joined him as he attended local schools, graduating at eighteen but choosing not to attend college and instead opting for a job at 216th Daisy Street. World War Two had broken out abroad in the meantime and while the US did not get involved directly, many citizens were keeping a close eye on what was happening. This all changed when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, dragging the US into the war and enraging the US population. John wasted no time and enlisted in the Marine Corps nine days later and shipped off to Parris Island for three months of boot camp and sea school, eventually being selected to join the Marine Detachment, USS South Dakota on March 1st 1942. The battleship had only launched in 1941 and joined the fleet the same month they welcomed Freeman aboard.
After a shakedown cruise and further testing, she was underway to Guadalcanal on August 14th as fleet flagship. While on the way, USS South Dakota hit a reef in the Lahai Passage and was forced to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs from September 23rd to 28th. Finally on October 12th she embarked with Task Force 16 with orders to search the Santa Cruz Islands for the Japanese Navy before turning towards Guadalcanal. That was easier said than done for the ship and PFC Freeman.
Santa Cruz
On October 25th, reconnaissance planes from both the Japanese and US Navy spotted each other but it wasn’t until the next morning that the battle began by planes from the USS Enterprise and Japanese carriers. The first wave hit at 8:55 AM and inflicted serious damage to the USS Hornet but left the USS South Dakota and Enterprise untouched. That changed at 10:00 AM when a second wave targeted them, causing the South Dakota’s anti-aircraft guns to fend them off for the next few hours. Only one plane was able to score a hit on the ship which killed two and wounded fifty before they disengaged with the task force, losing a valuable aircraft carrier during the battle. Ironically, the USS South Dakota suffered the most damage on the 30th when she collided with another vessel and traveled to Noumea for repairs.
Guadalcanal
After repairs were finished by early November, Task Force 16 left on the 11th for Guadalcanal to block Japanese bombardment groups off the coast. The USS South Dakota, USS Washington and four destroyers were detached from the group to round Savo Island and Guadalcanal to block the Japanese force from entering. The clash began past 11:00 PM on the 14th. The first salvos did no damage to either parties, but the South Dakota’s destroyer escorts were pummeled by Japanese fire, sinking two and scuttling one. PFC Freeman could only look on as the ship navigated around the burning wrecks and directly into the Japanese’s path. Electrical problems on the ship further placed it in peril with disabled radios, radar, and most of the gun batteries rendered her ineffective when the Japanese targeted her. The South Dakota suffered 27 hits that fully knocked out her communications and forced her to retire at 12:17 AM while still firing her remaining guns. The USS Washington however used this opportunity to blast the distracted enemy ships, sinking a battleship and leading the fleet away from PFC Freeman. Radio contact was reestablished with the task force soon after and by 9:00 PM on the 15th the USS South Dakota had rejoined and headed to Noumea for repairs. Eventually, she returned to New York for refit.
The USS South Dakota’s next assignment was with Task Force 61 on May 19th, 1943, which protected convoys going through the Arctic from Britain to supply the Soviet Union. These waters were frigid, riddled with U Boats, and incredibly dangerous, yet PFC Freeman’s ship completed three months worth of convoys without serious incident and returned to the US on August 1st. Three weeks later she left for the Pacific.
Gilberts and Marshall Islands
After stops in Efate and Fiji, the USS South Dakota supported the invasion of Tawawa beginning on November 19th with bombardment support and anti-aircraft protection, and then left for Nauru to bomb it on December 8th and retired to Efate to resupply. PFC Freeman reboarded his ship on January 18th, 1944 and sailed for the Marshall Island invasion alongside four other battleships. The first stop was Roi Namur on the 29th, where the USS South Dakota protected the aircraft carriers as they launched strikes to prepare for the assault, then shelled it themselves the following day.
Central Pacific Raids
After Roi, PFC Freeman and the South Dakota conducted multiple raids in the central pacific at Truk, Marianas, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Palau, Ulithi to take pressure off the landings at Hollandia, New Guinea, then turned their attention to the Marianas and Palau full time. On June 6th, the ship headed out for Operation Forager as carrier escort which began their raids on the 11th. The fleet then moved towards the Philippine Sea to meet the Japanese navy.
Battle of the Philippine Sea
At 10:04 AM on June 19th, Corporal Freeman’s ship radar detected the first wave of Japanese planes heading for their position. Although the air was thick with flak and fighters from the surrounding ships, one dive bomber scored a hit on the USS South Dakota with a 500 pound bomb, killing and wounding over fifty men. The second wave was broken up by gunfire and further attacks did not target her for the rest of the battle, however she participated in crew recovery of planes forced to ditch from lack of fuel. Once completed, she made her way back to the United States to disembark the wounded, and also Corporal Freeman who transferred off the ship on July 13th to the Navy Building in Washington DC as a guard. By the end of the year, he gained a promotion to Sergeant and experienced the end of WW2 here with the Japanese surrender in September. John was honorably discharged on December 17th, 1945 with a Good Conduct medal and returned to his home city of Clearfield. In 1946, he married Augusta Johnson and they had five kids together. John landed a job at a grocery store and then as a salesman. He passed away in his home city on January 13th, 1988.
After a shakedown cruise and further testing, she was underway to Guadalcanal on August 14th as fleet flagship. While on the way, USS South Dakota hit a reef in the Lahai Passage and was forced to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs from September 23rd to 28th. Finally on October 12th she embarked with Task Force 16 with orders to search the Santa Cruz Islands for the Japanese Navy before turning towards Guadalcanal. That was easier said than done for the ship and PFC Freeman.
Santa Cruz
On October 25th, reconnaissance planes from both the Japanese and US Navy spotted each other but it wasn’t until the next morning that the battle began by planes from the USS Enterprise and Japanese carriers. The first wave hit at 8:55 AM and inflicted serious damage to the USS Hornet but left the USS South Dakota and Enterprise untouched. That changed at 10:00 AM when a second wave targeted them, causing the South Dakota’s anti-aircraft guns to fend them off for the next few hours. Only one plane was able to score a hit on the ship which killed two and wounded fifty before they disengaged with the task force, losing a valuable aircraft carrier during the battle. Ironically, the USS South Dakota suffered the most damage on the 30th when she collided with another vessel and traveled to Noumea for repairs.
Guadalcanal
After repairs were finished by early November, Task Force 16 left on the 11th for Guadalcanal to block Japanese bombardment groups off the coast. The USS South Dakota, USS Washington and four destroyers were detached from the group to round Savo Island and Guadalcanal to block the Japanese force from entering. The clash began past 11:00 PM on the 14th. The first salvos did no damage to either parties, but the South Dakota’s destroyer escorts were pummeled by Japanese fire, sinking two and scuttling one. PFC Freeman could only look on as the ship navigated around the burning wrecks and directly into the Japanese’s path. Electrical problems on the ship further placed it in peril with disabled radios, radar, and most of the gun batteries rendered her ineffective when the Japanese targeted her. The South Dakota suffered 27 hits that fully knocked out her communications and forced her to retire at 12:17 AM while still firing her remaining guns. The USS Washington however used this opportunity to blast the distracted enemy ships, sinking a battleship and leading the fleet away from PFC Freeman. Radio contact was reestablished with the task force soon after and by 9:00 PM on the 15th the USS South Dakota had rejoined and headed to Noumea for repairs. Eventually, she returned to New York for refit.
The USS South Dakota’s next assignment was with Task Force 61 on May 19th, 1943, which protected convoys going through the Arctic from Britain to supply the Soviet Union. These waters were frigid, riddled with U Boats, and incredibly dangerous, yet PFC Freeman’s ship completed three months worth of convoys without serious incident and returned to the US on August 1st. Three weeks later she left for the Pacific.
Gilberts and Marshall Islands
After stops in Efate and Fiji, the USS South Dakota supported the invasion of Tawawa beginning on November 19th with bombardment support and anti-aircraft protection, and then left for Nauru to bomb it on December 8th and retired to Efate to resupply. PFC Freeman reboarded his ship on January 18th, 1944 and sailed for the Marshall Island invasion alongside four other battleships. The first stop was Roi Namur on the 29th, where the USS South Dakota protected the aircraft carriers as they launched strikes to prepare for the assault, then shelled it themselves the following day.
Central Pacific Raids
After Roi, PFC Freeman and the South Dakota conducted multiple raids in the central pacific at Truk, Marianas, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Palau, Ulithi to take pressure off the landings at Hollandia, New Guinea, then turned their attention to the Marianas and Palau full time. On June 6th, the ship headed out for Operation Forager as carrier escort which began their raids on the 11th. The fleet then moved towards the Philippine Sea to meet the Japanese navy.
Battle of the Philippine Sea
At 10:04 AM on June 19th, Corporal Freeman’s ship radar detected the first wave of Japanese planes heading for their position. Although the air was thick with flak and fighters from the surrounding ships, one dive bomber scored a hit on the USS South Dakota with a 500 pound bomb, killing and wounding over fifty men. The second wave was broken up by gunfire and further attacks did not target her for the rest of the battle, however she participated in crew recovery of planes forced to ditch from lack of fuel. Once completed, she made her way back to the United States to disembark the wounded, and also Corporal Freeman who transferred off the ship on July 13th to the Navy Building in Washington DC as a guard. By the end of the year, he gained a promotion to Sergeant and experienced the end of WW2 here with the Japanese surrender in September. John was honorably discharged on December 17th, 1945 with a Good Conduct medal and returned to his home city of Clearfield. In 1946, he married Augusta Johnson and they had five kids together. John landed a job at a grocery store and then as a salesman. He passed away in his home city on January 13th, 1988.