Ben Freeman

My grandfather Ben was an amazing man. He always saw things as the bigger picture and he tried to save as many lives as possible. He thought that all life is important and should be respected and protected.

My grandfather's life began May 10th 1920 in Plantation, Florida. My hero was bullied for being African American. When he was 13 he got in his first fight. He was expelled from his school and was home schooled. Later he joined the army. He fought in the Pacific theatre of WWII, he saved his friend's life on Okinawa from a Japanese machine gun and later they captured the island. After the war he was in the Allied occupation of West Germany. He fell in love with a 20 year old German girl named Anne. They got married in 1949 and lived a happy life.

The Korean War broke out between the Communist North and Democratic South. He was called away 1 year after they married. He fought for 2 years then his service requirement ended and he went back to Germany. During those 2 years he fought hard, he saved 2 North Korean's lives by capturing them instead of killing them, though he was shot in the stomach again, and this would eventually prove fatal. He and Anne had a kid 11 years later.

Seven years after that they moved to America because tensions between East and West grew to a boiling point. First Dean Freeman (my dad) was bullied and discriminated against. Then as he grew up he was German and also had to learn English. In the 1980's Dean got married to Mary Fulop (my mom). Ben was happier than ever, everything was going good until 1991. My grandfather was diagnosed with stomach cancer because of all the lead that was in his stomach from being shot. He was expected to live only a few more years. In 1996 he saw Graison be born (my brother). Then 3 years later he saw my birth but 1 year later he died while putting my 1st birthday card in the mailbox.

My grandpa did many great things in his life and I chose him as my hero because he was a role model too, that all life is worth sparing but you have to cherish every moment of it because it could end abruptly. He knew all life was sacred and that you should always try to spare it and that it needs to be respected for every creature on earth.