John Freund was commissioned as a Regular Army 2d Lieutenant in the Artillery, and after, attended the Artillery School. He served as a battery officer and battery commander from 1941-1942. An eye problem kept him from the Navy. From April 1943 to July 1945, he served as executive officer and battalion commander of combat units in the European Theater of Operations. Freund's battalion was deactivated because of cessation of hostilities and he was assigned to Theater Service Forces, European Theater. In 1946, Freund represented HQ, Army Ground Forces as Liaison Officer for Guided Missiles at the Wright-Patterson Air Development Center. He then entered the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Southern California in 1947. In 1949, Freund was assigned to the 1st Guided Missile Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas, where he served until July 1952 as battalion commander, group officer, group executive officer, and group commanding officer. During 1953 to 1957, General Freund was assigned to the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group, Office of the Secretary of Defense, as an army member and guided missile specialists. During his time in South Vietnam, he performed duties as Deputy Senior Corps Advisor, Director of Training for Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Assistant Director of the Joint United States Public Affairs Office, Special Assistant to the COMUSMACVGeneral William Westmoreland and finally as commander of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. Freund was wounded in August 1967 during an assault operation in Operation Fairfax and was brought back to the states in early September. After graduation from the National War College in 1961, Freund remained in the Washington area, serving for one year on the Department of the Army General Staff and two subsequent years with the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In October 1967, he was assigned to Germany where he served as Chief of Staff of the VII US Army Corps. In January 1969 he returned to the United States where he was assigned to Washington D.C., serving as Special Assistant for Counter Insurgency and Special Activities, office of the Joint Chief of Staff, until August 1969. He served as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the Army, until July 1971. On July 16, 1971 Freund was reassigned to Stewart Field, NY where he assumed command of the First Legion, U.S. Army Air Defense Command. He was appointed Connecticut Adjutant General by Thomas J. Meskill in 1972 until 1982. During this assignment, he increased the National Guard budget and many armories were built, including the one that now stands in New Britain, Connecticut.
Awards
His awards included a Distinguished Service Medal, a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, a Bronze Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and Combat "V", and Air Medal with elven Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Purple Heart. He was also awarded seven campaign ribbons and ten foreign decorations.
Personal life
John Freund married Margaret McCallum on September 6, 1947. They had three sons; John F. Freund, Peter C. Freund, and Bruce R. Freund. On March 22, 2001 Freund died of cancer in the home of a son in New York.
