Click On Image
For Full Size Image |
Size |
Image Description |
Contributed
By |
| 57k | Merritt Austin Edson born 25 April 1897 in Rutland, Vt., enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve at the outbreak of World War I and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the regular Marine Corps 9 October 1917. He served in France from September 1918 to December 1919. In 1941 he directed experimental operations which included training with high-speed transports. These led to the organization of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion one month after the United States entered World War II. This battalion was the prototype for Marine Raider and Army Ranger Battalions formed later in the war. Edson led his battalion during the invasion and capture of Tulagi from 7 to 9 August 1942, then was assigned to defend the ridge on Guadalcanal which dominated Henderson Field. For his superb and heroic leadership on the night of 13 and 14 September when his men stood off a fanatic attack by a much larger Japanese force, Colonel Edson was awarded the Medal of Honor. He took part in the Tarawa invasion and in 1944 was appointed Chief of Staff, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. After duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Marine Corps Headquarters, Major General Edson retired 1 August 1947. He died 14 August 1955 in Washington, D.C. Photo Courtesy of the USMC Historical Division. | Bill Gonyo |
| 19k | Undated, location unknown. | - |
| 21k | Undated, as part of DESRON 13, the Blackcats, out of Long Beach, CA. | Doug Walter |
| 17k | As above | Doug Walter |
| 53k | As above | Doug Walter |
| 82k | Taken in 1968 from the USS Boston off the Vietnamese coast, the Edson is pictured coming alongside the combat stores ship, Niagara Falls (AFS-3). | John Jazdzewski |
| 75k | Taken in mid 1968 from the HMAS Hobart (D39) off the Vietnamese coast. | David Sutherland |
| 34k | Edson during naval gunfire support off the coast of VietNam during the WestPac cruise of 1971. | Bill Heberling |
| 72k | USS Edson DD 946, USS Theodore E. Chandler DD 717 and USS Ozbourn DD 846 circa 1973. | Charles E. Walker Jr. STGCS (SW) USN ret. |
| 111k | USS Edson entering Pearl Harbor in early 1973 enroute Westpac. Official U.S. Navy photo. | Scott Noble, CAPT, USNR (Ret.) |
| 108k | USS Edson entering San Francisco June 1974. Official US Navy photo. | Scott Noble, CAPT, USNR (Ret.) |
| 161k | USS Edson operating off Pearl Harbor December 1974. Official U.S. Navy photo. | Scott Noble, CAPT, USNR (Ret.) |
| 161k | Taken from USS Coral Sea, December 1974, in transit from Pearl Harbor to Subic Bay. | Phil Toy |
| 181k | As above. | Phil Toy |
| 109k | As above. | Phil Toy |
| 69k | Mayport Florida, April 1978 | © Richard Leonhardt |
| 132k | Visit to Montreal June 20, 1983. | Marc Piché |
| 75k | Visit to Montreal June 20, 1983. | Marc Piché |
| 69k | Visit to Montreal June 20, 1983. | Marc Piché |
| 24k | St. Lawrence River August 23 1984. | Marc Piché |
| 58k | Aug 17, 1986, Hampton Roads, Virginia: The destroyer USS Edson (DD-946) underway. The Edson was the last of the Forest Sherman-class destroyers remaining on the naval registry and was decommissioned Dec. 15, 1988. | Fred Weiss |
| 112k | New York City Intrepid Museum 1991. | Graeme D Fuller |
| 97k | A series of photos of the Edson at the New York City Intrepid Museum, March 18 1995. | Larry Backus |
| 115k | As above. | Larry Backus |
| 124k | As above. | Larry Backus |
| 87k | As above. | Larry Backus |
| 87k | Image of the USS Growler, USS Edson and USS Slater in New York March 1995. | Larry Backus |
| 132k | May 1, 1995, New York City, New York: The decommissioned destroyer USS Edson (DD-946) tied up at the Intrepid (CV-11) Museum during Fleet Week 95. The Edson is now a memorial ship. | Fred Weiss |
| 61k | Philadelphia Naval Shipyard October 22 2004. | Gil Bohannon |
| 86k | Taken from the fantail of the USS Des Moines awaiting scrapping at NISMF. The 2 destroyers next to the Edson are the Forrest Sherman and then the Charles F. Adams taken June 26, 2006. | Joe Hood |
| 96k | Edson from the port beam on June 27, 2006 at Philadelphia NISMF. | Joe Hood |
| 39k | Ship's patch | Mike Smolinski |
| 39k | Ship's patch | Bill Heberling |
