Walter Atlee Edwards

Infobox Military Person
name=Walter Atlee Edwards
born= birth date|1886|11|8
died= death date and age|1928|1|15|1886|11|8
placeofbirth= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
placeofdeath= Washington, D.C.
placeofburial= Arlington National Cemetery


caption=Lieutenant Commander Walter Atlee Edwards, circa 1923
nickname=
allegiance= flag|United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears=1906 – 1928
rank= Lieutenant Commander
commands=USS "Dahlgren" (DD-187) USS "Paul Jones" (DD-230) USS "Bainbridge" (DD-246) USS "Billingsley" (DD-293)
unit=
battles=World War I
awards=Medal of Honor Légion d'honneur Distinguished Service Order
laterwork=

Walter Atlee Edwards (8 November, 1886 – 15 January, 1928) was a Lieutenant-Commander in the United States Navy and a recipient of America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor.

Biography

Walter Atlee Edwards was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 8 November 1886. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1906, graduated in June 1910 and was commissioned with the rank of Ensign in 1912. During the four years following graduation, Edwards served in the battleship "Michigan", cruisers "Chester" and "Des Moines", and destroyers "Monaghan" and "Walke". For most of 1914-1916 he was stationed at Pensacola, Florida, receiving instruction in aviation, but also helped with the outfitting of the new destroyer "Ericsson" during this time.

Edwards was an officer of the destroyers "Jarvis" and "Cushing" from October 1916 until October 1917. He then became Aid for Aviation on the staff of Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, holding that position for the rest of World War I and into the first months of peace. In April 1919, Lieutenant Commander Edwards began brief duty with the Bureau of Navigation, in Washington, D.C., before taking up his new position as Aide to the Commandant of the Naval War College, in Newport, Rhode Island. For a year, beginning in May 1921, he was Commanding Officer of the destroyers "Dahlgren" and "Paul Jones". Between June 1922 and September 1923, Edwards commanded the destroyer "Bainbridge", a tour marked by the 16 December 1922 rescue of nearly five hundred survivors from the burning French transport "Vinh-Long". For his heroism on that occasion he was awarded the Medal of Honor, as well as receiving the Legion of Honor from the French government and the Distinguished Service Order from the King of England.

In 1923-1924, Lieutenant Commander Edwards was stationed at the Bureau of Navigation. He was then Gunnery Officer on the armored cruiser "Pittsburgh" and, in August 1927, took command of the destroyer "Billingsley". Hospitalized in Washington, D.C., in December 1927, Lieutenant Commander Walter A. Edwards died there on 15 January 1928. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.

Namesake

The destroyer USS "Edwards" (DD-619) was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edwards.

Medal of Honor citation

Lieutenant Commander Edwards' official Medal of Honor citation is as follows:

For heroism in rescuing 482 men, women and children from the French military transport "Vinh-Long", destroyed by fire in the Sea of Marmora, Turkey, on 16 December 1922. Lieutenant Commander Edwards, commanding the U.S.S. "Bainbridge", placed his vessel alongside the bow of the transport and, in spite of several violent explosions which occurred on the burning vessel, maintained his ship in that position until all who were alive were taken on board. Of a total of 495 on board, 482 were rescued by his coolness, judgement and professional skill, which were combined with a degree of heroism that must reflect new glory on the United States Navy.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients during Peacetime

References

:NHC
*cite web
last = Naval Historical Center
title = US People - Edwards, Walter A.
work = Online Library
date = 2002-10-20
url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-e/wa-edwds.htm
accessdate = 2006-08-18

Persondata
NAME= Edwards, Walter Atlee
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH= 8 November, 1886
PLACE OF BIRTH= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH= 15 January, 1928
PLACE OF DEATH= Washington, D.C.