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Theodore Freeman of Rantoul was a steward, serving officers in the mess hall on the USS Missouri. But when the enemy struck, he had to man his position on a gun mount and defend the ship. He was on board the USS Missouri when a Japanese kamikaze pilot crashed his plane into the ship very near to where Freeman was standing. He talked with WILL-TV producer Denise La Grassa about the challenges he faced as an African-American on board ship and about the conflict between his life as Pentecostal pastor before Pearl Harbor and his life as a sailor pledged to defend the country.
Segment duration: 06:23
Producer: Denise La Grassa
Editor: Eleanore Stasheff
This segment is filed in these categories: History • Military • World War II • Rantoul
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