Heywood L. Edwards

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Heywood Lane Edwards (9 November 1905 – 31 October 1941) was an officer of the United States Navy. He was one of the first American casualties of World War II, more than a month before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Edwards was born in San Saba, Tex., 9 November 1905 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1926. After serving in battleship Florida (BB-30), destroyer Reno (DD-303) and other ships, he underwent submarine instruction in 1931, served in several submarines, and was assigned to cruiser Detroit (CL-8) in 1935.

Lieutenant Commander Edwards assumed command of Reuben James (DD-245) 6 April 1940. His ship became the first in the U.S. Navy to be sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic when it was torpedoed by a German submarine while on convoy duty west of Iceland 30–31 October 1941. Lt. Comdr. Edwards and 99 of his crew perished with the ship.

[edit] Namesake

In 1943, the destroyer USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) was named in his honor.

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[edit] References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.