Walter Atlee Edwards

Walter Atlee Edwards
Lieutenant Commander Walter Atlee Edwards, c. 1923
Born	(1886-11-08)November 8, 1886 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	January 15, 1928(1928-01-15) (aged 41) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1906 – 1928
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Commands held	USS Dahlgren (DD-187) USS Paul Jones (DD-230) USS Bainbridge (DD-246) USS Billingsley (DD-293)
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Medal of Honor Navy Cross Légion d'honneur Distinguished Service Order

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

Walter Atlee Edwards was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 8, 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 USS Michigan (BB-27), cruisers USS Chester (CL-1) and USS Des Moines (CL-17), and destroyers USS Monaghan (DD-32) and USS Walke (DD-34). 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 USS Ericsson (DD-56) during this time.

Edwards was an officer of the destroyers USS Jarvis (DD-38) and USS Cushing (DD-55) from October 1916 until October 1917. He then became Aide 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 USS Dahlgren (DD-187) and USS Paul Jones (DD-230). Between June 1922 and September 1923, Edwards commanded the destroyer USS Bainbridge (DD-246), a tour marked by the December 16, 1922 rescue of nearly 500 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.