James Shepherd Freeman
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Image:Jsfreeman-portrait.jpg James Shepherd Freeman (b. April 30, 1900 in Jasper, AL; d. August 7, 1962 in Bethesda, MD) was a World War II Admiral in the United States Navy and the son of Alabama millionaire James Stanley Freeman.
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1921 before entering a career in the military. While commander of the USS Alchiba, he was assigned to bring supplies and ammunition to Marines stationed in Guadalcanal. On November 28, 1942, his ship was torpedoed by two Japanese midget submarines. Then-commander 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. Freeman received the Navy Cross for his actions. During his career in the Navy, he also served as commander of the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii before World War II.
Freeman is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was married to Dorothea Steinmann Freeman, whom he widowed. He is often referred to as "James Freeman, Sr." to distinguish him from his son, a prominent corporate and political figure of the 1960s and 1970s, also named Jim.
James Shepherd Freeman, Jr. (b. 1926 in San Diego, CA; d. 1997 in Jasper, AL) spent his childhood in Hawaii while his father was commanding Pearl Harbor. As a fifteen year old he was linked romantically to actress Shirley Temple. He entered the Naval Academy, but was later released on a medical discharge. He graduated in 1948 from Auburn University in Alabama. That same year, Freeman married Betty Jeane Pierce, a great grand-niece of former president Franklin Pierce and daughter of newspaper publisher Edgar H. Pierce. After retiring as a senior Union Carbide executive in 1979, he declined an invitation by then-candidate Ronald Reagan to serve as Secretary of Labor for his first presidential term. He had five children and ten grandchildren.