Of all the American Divisions that served in the European-African-Middle Eastern theatre during WWII, the 4th Infantry Division suffered the second highest amount of casualties. As part of that Division, the 22nd Infantry Regiment was involved in all of the action seen by the Division. Earl W. Edwards graduated from Mississippi State University in 1939, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry. He served with the 22nd Infantry in the 4th Infantry Division from 1940 to 1946, rising from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel. As Commander of 2nd Battalion 22nd Infantry, he led the Battalion ashore on D-Day, and directed it in the heavy fighting of the advance toward Cherbourg, and later in the Bocage countryside of Normandy. He became the Operations Officer for the 22nd Infantry Regiment, and planned its operations in the race across France, the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, and the penetration into Germany. This is his story, from his humble beginnings as the son of a railroad worker, to his dynamic leadership in the 22nd Infantry, his continued Army career, and his retirement from the Army as a full Colonel.
