The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-10-30
Detroiter Seeing Action
With Air Force In Italy
lContInued from r. I3l

CONTINUED from r. 49,
with a few others. despite his mere
1877 pounds and his S feet S inches
In height. for training ~ =" officer
candidate school.
Commissioned In iS42
Completing the work al Aber'
deem. he was commissioner IN Sep
TENDER 5. 1912 and when he re-
turned to Tuskegee he became ord
nance officer of the Fighter Squad
ron. 1t. Currie is II years old
In marked contrast Is 6-foot tall.
compound Jimmv Freeman Besides
being . first rate ordnance officer.
1t. Freeman Is a racopteur. boxer
and humorist OF no mean proper
lions.
He and his wife, the former Miss
Pearl X. Kaufman OF New York
City. make their home at l08-l0
18TH street. Jamaica, NY. They
were married on September Is.
1887. 1t. Freeman's father lives
in London; his mother in Manhat-
tan.
Takes Care or Self
Never man TO 60 about look
Ing for a fight. 1t. Freeman has
nevertheless finished most of them
that have been brought to him.
An incident that occurred in New
York before he went into the Army
will illustrate the point.
The usual crowd had gathered
at the popular Seventh avenue res
taurant and bar. Freeman was in
small group back in one corner.
Another member OF the group was
famed athlete OF a decade or two
ago who also has made quite rep
utation for himself in medicine.
He carried his more than 200
pounds in muscle and bone and was
still regarded as both quick and
effective on the punch.
Some minor and insignificant
misunderstanding arose and the
medico jumped up from his seat
and took q pass At Freeman. That
was . terrible mistake. because
Freeman Just bobbed his head and
let the blow pass harmlessly by.
Attended Brown u.
Then he weaved into him with
rain OF rights and lefts that
spilled the doctor fiat and limp
on the floor. He might have stayed
and added further punishment but
an ugly brawl in a public eating
place was no affair for a YMCA
worker TO be connected with. so
Freeman withdrew and went on
down the street while the ex-ath-
lete's friends revived and composed
him.
At 80, 1t Freeman has lost lit
lie OF the stamina and the agility
md power that won him a place
m the boxing team at Brown uni
versity during the three and-one-
half years he attended college,
'937-40. He fought in the light
b eavyweight CTS pound) class,
played on the varsity football team
as well.
Once Beat Harry Thomas
Among the opponents faced by
1t Freeman was Harry Thomas.
who later lost professional matches
to both Joe Louis and Max Schmel-
ing. Freeman knocked out Thomas
in an East-West AAU boxing match
at Eagle Bend. Ind.
Aboard the transport that brought
me goth Fighter Squadron over
seas. 1t Freeman had charge OF
boxing. A squared ring was roped
off on one OF the semi-enclosed
decks and daily boxing matches
kept the soldiers minds off SUBJ
marines and other less sporting
things.
1t Freeman refereed the matches
and coached the fighters along b,
their workouts. Occasionally. "a
keep his own muscles nimble, he
would put on the gloves with one
OF the men and go through a round
or two. being careful TO pull his
punches" and not hurt his opponent
In fact. any man who put on the
gloves with 1t. Freeman was par.
ticular to have that understood ir
advance. since he was = former
AAU l75-pound champion!
Visited Berlin
Before he went into the Army
1t. Freeman was a program direc.
tor at the 135th Street YMCA ir
Harlem. He had helped to coach
boxing and swimming teams anC
to supervise athletic and recrea
tional activities.
One of his most memorable ex
periences was In accompanying tn,
1885 Olympic team TO Berlin as |
special representative" OF tn,
|