# James Shepherd Freeman

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**James Shepherd Freeman** (1900 – 1962) was a [World War II](/source/World_War_II) admiral in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) and the son of the Alabama millionaire [James Stanley Freeman](/source/James_Stanley_Freeman).

## Early life

Freeman was born on April 30, 1900, in [Jasper, Alabama](/source/Jasper,_Alabama). He entered the [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy) on July 20, 1917 and graduated 58th in his class in 1921[1] before entering a career in the Navy.[2]

## Career

His assignments before World War II included as chief executive officer of the US Naval Base at [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor) in [Hawaii](/source/Hawaii).

While commander of the [USS *Alchiba*](/source/USS_Alchiba_(AKA-6)), he was assigned to bring supplies and ammunition to marines stationed in [Guadalcanal](/source/Guadalcanal).[3] On November 28, 1942, his ship was torpedoed by two Japanese [midget submarines](/source/Midget_submarine). Freeman ordered the *Alchiba'*s engines turned to full throttle and ran the ship ashore, saving the lives of the crew and ensuring that the much-needed ammunition was not lost.[4] Freeman received the [Navy Cross](/source/Navy_Cross_(United_States)) for his actions.

The admiral is also featured in the self-described "UFO disclosure" documentary *Fastwalkers: They Are Here* as the commander of a naval ship whose crew reported sightings of extraterrestrial activity at sea. In the film, Freeman is reported to have had photographs of UFOs that were supposed to be shown to other naval officers. It is unclear whether such photos existed or were ever made public.[citation needed]

## Personal life

He was married to Dorothea Steinmann Freeman. He is often referred to as "James Freeman, Sr." to distinguish him from his son, also named Jim.

His son James Shepherd Freeman, Jr., was born 1926 in [San Diego, California](/source/San_Diego,_California) and spent his childhood in Hawaii while his father was commanding at Pearl Harbor. He, too, entered the Naval Academy, but was later released on a [medical discharge](/source/Military_discharge). He graduated in 1948 from [Auburn University](/source/Auburn_University) in Alabama and, in the same year, married Betty Jeane Pierce, daughter of the newspaper publisher Edgar H. Pierce. They had five children and ten grandchildren. Freeman Jr. died in 1997 in Jasper.

## Death

Freeman Snr. died on August 7, 1962, at the [Bethesda Naval Hospital](/source/Bethesda_Naval_Hospital) in [Bethesda, Maryland](/source/Bethesda,_Maryland), and is buried in [Arlington National Cemetery](/source/Arlington_National_Cemetery).[5] His wife survived him.

## References

1. [*Annual register of the United States Naval Academy. Annapolis, Md*](https://ia601604.us.archive.org/15/items/annualregiste19211922unse/annualregiste19211922unse.pdf). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. October 1, 1921. p. 56.

1. [*Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps*](https://books.google.com/books?id=tP5EAQAAMAAJ&dq=James%20Shepherd%20Freeman%20navy%20%22pearl%20harbor%22&pg=PA106). U.S. Government Printing Office. 1928.

1. ["U.S.S. Alchiba Commendation | FSU Digital Repository"](https://repository.lib.fsu.edu:443/islandora/object/fsu%3A388867). *repository.lib.fsu.edu*. Retrieved 2024-11-11.

1. ["The Solomons Campaign: The Bougainville Invasion, November – December 1943(Part I)"](https://blog.usni.org/posts/2009/11/22/the-solomons-campaign-the-bougainville-invasion-november-december-1943part-i). *USNI Blog*. Retrieved 2024-11-11.

1. ["James Shepherd Freeman - Obituary"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-james-shepherd/11350469/). *Newspapers.com*. Montgomery, Alabama: The Montgomery Advertiser. 1962-08-10. Retrieved 2024-11-11.

## External links

- [Admiral Freeman's Arlington National Cemetery online biography](http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jsfreeman.htm)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James Shepherd Freeman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Shepherd_Freeman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Shepherd_Freeman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.