 |
MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Mar '99
Stephen Orville Edwards * '46
No. 15527 * 12 Jul 1924 - 2 Dec 1997
Died in Chapel Hill, NC
Interred in West Point Cemetery,
West Point, NY
|
Born in Roodhouse, IL, Steve had a typical small
town upbringing. An excellent student and athlete, with two brothers
who had graduated from West Point, it was no wonder that he gained
his appointment to join the Class of 1946 on the Hudson 1 July
1943.
Steve thrived as a cadet. He was a good student
and athlete, but it was in the military side of cadet life that
he truly excelled. He was cadet company commander of E2 Company
his first class year. He graduated a second lieutenant in the
Cavalry/Armor upon graduation.
Following basic Armor schooling at Fort Knox, KY,
Steve was assigned to the 6th Cavalry in Europe. In September1950,
Steve was a platoon leader in the 64th Tank Battalion, 3d Division
in the Korean War. Classmate and fellow Armor officer, Bud Martin
recalled: "In North Korea in December 1950 during the desperate
withdrawal of Eighth Army, Steve's company occupied a blocking
position along the route. He heard that my company would withdraw
through his position sometime that day. So, Steve waited by the
road all day in the bitter cold, scanning every passing vehicle.
When I did finally pass through riding in the turret of a tank,
Steve was wildly waving and shouting to me from the side of the
road. The emotions I felt at that moment are beyond expression."
In 1952, Steve went to West Point as an instructor
in Military Topography and Graphics. It was while there that
he married Mary Clare Watlington on 20 June 1953 at Fairland,
MD. The Edwards returned to Fort Knox where Steve commanded a
tank company in the 3d Division and moved with the unit to Germany.
Steve was selected for Command & General Staff College at
Fort Leavenworth, KS in 1959 and stayed on after graduation with
the staff and faculty. Steve attended the Armed Forces Staff
College at Norfolk, VA before going to Korea in 1964 to serve
at Hqs. Eighth Army. Returning to the States, Steve was selected
to command 2nd Battalion, 66th Armored, at Fort Hood, TX. The
Edwards next traveled to Washington, DC where Steve served in
the Office Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Department of the
Army. In 1970, Steve gained his Masters in Journalism from Ohio
State. In 1971, he served in Vietnam with MACV. It was back to
the Pentagon for Steve, assigned to the Department of Defense,
Personal Affairs. His final assignment was with the National
Alliance of Businessmen's Jobs for Veterans Program. Steve retired
in 1976 as a Colonel.
After retirement, Steve and Mary Clare moved to
Williamsburg, VA where Steve was Assistant Vice President and
Branch Manager for Crestar Bank. After retiring from that position,
the Edwards moved to Chapel Hill, NC. Steve died 2 December 1997
after a battle with cancer. Survivors include his wife, Mary
Clare; sons, Stephen Jr., Timothy and John; daughter, Margaret;
brother John (USMA '39) and three grandchildren.
Steve Edwards was a person who brought out the
best in people. He was sincere, honest, straightforward, friendly
and honorable. In short, Steve was everything a West Pointer
was expected to be. When word of his death went out to his friends
and classmates, letters poured in to his family expressing how
they felt about a great man. Excerpts from these letters tell
what Steve meant to so many:
"I shall always remember him as one of the
kindest and most considerate men it has ever been my fortune
to know."
"He was thoughtful, with a hint of reserve,
courteous to a fault, and never had an unkind word pass his lips
about another soul. He was a prince of a man. I feel privileged
to have known him. Steve will be long remembered by all who knew
him as a true gentleman. They don't make them like him anymore."
"When someone with the quality of character
as Steve departs from our company, appropriate words are difficult
to express. Steve was unquestionably one of the best soldiers
who ever wore the Army uniform. Kindness, humility and warmth
of heart were a central part of his make up - so it is with heavy
heart that these words are sent to you."
"In the short time we knew Steve, we came
to know that he possessed these characteristics - strength, personal
honor, courage, duty and devotion to country and leadership.
In addition, Steve was a gentleman, in the nicest sense of the
word."
Steve's loving wife, Mary Clare, added these thoughts
to the remembrances above: "I would like to express my thanks
for the gift of his love for his family and the deep appreciation
he expressed for the life he led. The day we were given the final
diagnosis, as we drove home from the doctor's, he expressed the
enormous gratitude he felt for having done everything he wanted
to do - having seen all four of his children graduate from universities,
had two satisfying careers, and was happy. He accepted the inevitability
of the dreadful course of this particular cancer and resolved
to live with and beyond it. No denial, ever, no 'why me? -- nothing
but courage and incredible bravery -- all the while keeping us
all filled with wonder, with love and with pride beyond words.
He was probably the noblest man I've ever known. I shall forever
miss him."
To these words of love and admiration, the Class
of 1946 is honored to add those words that Steve would so like
to hear: "Well Done, Steve; Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his wife, Mary Clare
|