Freeman, Charles Seymour (1878-1969)

C.S. Freeman was commander of 13 Naval District, based in Seattle, at the outbreak of war. He was among the West Coast commanders who became obsessed with security and the fear of sabotage. Though in his public statements he pointed out that the vast majority of Americans of Japanese descent were loyal and called for just and fair treatment of them, he also called for exclusion of all enemy aliens from the states of Washington and Oregon and recommended that Americans of Japanese descent who could not prove their loyalty be classified as enemy aliens.

After the Japanese were driven back at Midway in early June 1942, intelligence was lacking on whether the Japanese had retreated from the Aleutians as well. Freeman advised King that the situation in the Aleutians was "rapidly deteriorating.... cat and mouse tactics are wearing us down preliminary to delivering all out attack" (Lundstrom 2006). Freeman called for immediate reinforcements to Alaska where he described the "need approaches desperation." King therefore ordered Nimitz to send reinforcements to the Aleutians, from which Japanese naval forces had already retreated after seizing Attu and Kiska.

Freeman was compelled by regulation to retire at age 64, which he attained in November 1942. He then served as Vice President, Economic Council, Inc.

Service record

References

ArlingtonCemetary.net (accessed 2011-12-3)

Lundstrom (2006)

Naval Historical Center (accessed 2008-2-25)
Pettibone (2006)

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2011 by Kent G. Budge. Index

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