LITTLE ROCK, AR, USA U.S. Army SGT, 18TH ENGINEER COMPANY, FORT LEWIS, WA BAGHDAD, IRAQ 03/22/2007
Sergeant Freeman L. Gardner, was born in Mt. Clemens and attended Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit. He won multiple awards in high school, including a first place award during a 1994 summer program with Ford Motor Company for gifted high school computer programmers. He also became a national winner in developing a detailed computer program. In 1998, Freeman graduated from Central High, in Little Rock with a 4.0 GPA, with high honors in his AP classes.
After high school Freeman attended the University of Oklahoma and became a member of the Zeta Zeta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. In December 2004, he married his lovely wife, Kara, in Oklahoma City. Gardner joined the United States Army in June 2004 and completed basic and advanced training before being stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington. He was a signal systems support specialist and was trained to maintain or supervise the battlefield communications systems. Gardner was deployed to Iraq in June, 2006. He died on March 22, 2007 when an improvised explosive device detonated while the unit conducted clearance operations in a western section of the Iraqi Capital.
His awards and decorations include: Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Good Conduct Medal.
Freeman was proud to have the opportunity to be a soldier. He was a devoted husband, son, brother, uncle and soldier and a friend to many. He was a quiet man with a gentle demeanor. Freeman was extraordinarily loved and will be missed every moment of every day.” He is survived by his: loving wife, Mother, Step-father, two sisters, and numerous family and friends.