David Edwards Went From Casper To Flying Navy Fighters On 260 Missions In Vietnam

A 1955 graduating senior in Casper was found guilty of careless driving and had the choice of losing his license for 20 days or paying a $20 fine.

David Richard Edwards had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Whether he went with the fine or loss of his license is not known. The Casper Morning Star on May 26, 1955, just recorded that the patrolman who pulled him over told the court David R. Edwards “had not reached the reckless state yet.”

But a decade later, Edwards was still traveling fast and wearing the wings of a Naval aviator as he attacked torpedo boats at a base in North Vietnam.

“Lt. Edwards pressed home a rocket and strafing attack on the torpedo boats in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire from the ships in the harbor and from a concentration of anti-aircraft batteries located around the harbor,” a citation for the Navy Air Medal reads as published in the May 24, 1966, edition of the Casper Star-Tribune.

“Despite the heavy anti-aircraft fire, Lt. Edwards repeated his attack strafing the torpedo boats in the harbor without regard for his personal safety,” according to the story. “He scored multiple rocket hits on a torpedo boat, inflicting heavy damage which left the boat on fire.”

That medal, along with other decorations and items from Edwards’ U.S. Navy career that stretched from 1957 as an enlisted man to June 1987 when he retired as a captain, is on display at the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum in Casper.

Man Of Service

Museum Director John Woodward said Edwards’ career in the military and as a civilian is a great example of the devotion and service military men and women give to society. Edwards would go on to become a Douglas City Council member and state representative.

“He didn’t stop serving his community, his country, his state when he retired from the Navy, he continued to do that in other ways,” Woodward said. “He continued to serve even though he wasn’t wearing his uniform. That’s the takeaway I have from Capt. Edwards and others.”

Edwards, born Jan. 13, 1938, in Cheyenne and raised in Casper, joined the U.S. Navy in 1957, and an article in the Casper Star-Tribune on Feb. 1, 1959, reports that he was an aviation electronics technician serving in Guam. In December of 1960, he had become a naval aviation cadet through a program that allowed enlisted sailors to become officers.

In late 1961, he received his wings as a naval aviator and was assigned to a fighter squadron.

“He found his passion as a naval aviator and began flying combat missions off of aircraft carriers off the coast of Vietnam,” Woodward said. “He flew several different aircraft including the A-4 Skyhawk, and he was actually a squadron commander aboard the USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War.”

During his Navy career, Edwards flew 260 missions in Vietnam in various tours of duty.

On one occasion in 1972 after a mission over Hanoi, he came close to losing his life after his aircraft was hit by enemy flak.

“He was forced to eject from his aircraft and spent several hours in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam waiting for rescue,” Woodward said.

He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission.

A Crash

An article in the Nov. 24, 1972, Sacramento Bee carried a story about an apparent separate incident involving a night landing.

“A Navy A7 Corsair, attempting a hazardous night landing aboard the carrier USS Saratoga, misjudged the approach and smashed into the deck,” the newspaper reported. “Despite the major structural damage, the pilot, Lt. Cmdr. David Edwards managed to get the crippled jet back to the air. He headed for Da Nang but was forced to abandon the aircraft when his controls failed.”

Edwards ejected from the plane and was rescued from the water by a helicopter, the newspaper reported.

In addition to serving as a squadron commander, Edwards eventually became a CAG or commander air group, responsible for all the aviation operations on the aircraft carrier. The museum boasts his flight helmet from that time that had colorful stripes painted on it with the letters “CAG” on the sides.

“His call sign while he was a pilot was ‘Warpaint,’” Woodward said.

In 1980, Edwards was promoted to the rank of captain and Nov. 23, 1980, edition of the Casper Star-Tribune listed him as the commander of a carrier air wing attached to the USS Kitty Hawk. He had 10 air squadrons under him that included those flying F-14 Tomcats, RF-SG Crusaders, A-7E Corsair II and A-6 Intruders — all fighters. He also commanded EA-6 Prowler electronic warfare planes, E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft, S-3 Viking anti-submarine aircraft and the SH-3 Sea King helicopters.

Woodward said in 1984, Edwards was given command of his own ship, the USS Ogden, an amphibious dock ship used to ferry Marines into battle. The Fresno Bee reported on Aug. 11, 1984, that the ship’s helicopter was involved in the rescue of fishermen off the coast of San Diego whose fishing boat sank 95 miles southwest of the city.

Edwards left the ship in 1986 and went on to other assignments including his last one at the Pentagon.

Retirement

After retirement, Edwards and his family lived in California for a few years before returning to central Wyoming in 1993 and settling in Douglas. He and his wife, Glenda, purchased the historic Hotel LaBonte in 1994 and ran it for about six years. He also became involved in local service organizations, the American Legion and served as a Douglas city council member.

Former Douglas City Administrator Bobbe Fitzhugh, now a minister in the Wyoming Episcopal Church, called Edwards a “character, and intelligent character.”

“He was very humble about his naval service,” she said. “He was just always interested in helping the community … one of the things I remember about Dave’s city council service was a continuing admonishment that every time we proposed a new ordinance, he insisted that we find a way to repeal one, too.”

From 2000 to 2008, Fitzhugh served as a District 6 state representative. Fitzhugh said Edwards had a couple of “pet peeves.” He wanted a Wyoming lottery and a third exit into Douglas.

And when Douglas city officials went to lobby the legislature in Cheyenne, she said Fitzhugh would take them on the floor of the House and show them all “the cool stuff.”

“He was just really proud to be from Wyoming and to be involved in the things he did,” she said.

In 2007, Edwards was among 30 other Republican candidates who put his name in contention to replace U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas who died in office.

“I think I can do some good stuff for the state of Wyoming,” he told a Casper Star-Tribune reporter for a June 15, 2007, story. He talked about his experience as leading a naval air wing and as captain of a ship.

“I know not just how to order people around but to convince them that this would be a good thing to do,” he said.

While he wasn’t selected for the U.S. Senate, current U.S. Sen. John Barrasso was, he did serve as a Converse County commissioner from 2009 to 2011. He died in 2013 following a stroke. Fitzhugh spoke at his funeral.

Edwards’ gravestone in Douglas’ Park Cemetery includes the U.S. Navy anchor symbol and a fighter jet.

Woodward said though Memorial Day celebrations this weekend are about those who gave their lives while serving in the military, it is also important to remember those who continued to serve after they got out.

Edwards’ resume as a naval aviator includes several decorations and awards that stand out in a landlocked state with a small population.

“He was a very active, very interesting veteran and one that we like to highlight at the museum,” Woodward said. “You don’t think of many CAGs (commander of air groups) coming from Wyoming.”

Edwards’ headstone sums up the man who dedicated a lifetime to military and other service, and describes millions of others who have volunteered for military service: “Husband, Father, Patriot.”

Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.