Army 1st Lt. William A. Edens, 29, of Columbia, Mo.
1st Lt. Edens was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.; killed April 28, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker military vehicle in Tal Afar, Iraq. Also killed were Sgt. Eric W. Morris, Spc. Ricky W. Rockholt Jr. and Pfc. Robert W. Murray Jr.
William Edens became a college graduate, an Army lieutenant and a newlywed, all in the space of four months.
When he went to Iraq, his wife, Christina, was finishing medical school.
"I'm sure that leaving her was one of the hardest things he'd ever done," said 1st Lt. Joshua Grenard, a classmate.
Edens, 29, of Columbia, Mo., was among four soldiers killed April 28 by a roadside bomb in Tal Afar. He was based at Fort Lewis.
Edens worked for a while after high school before going to a community college, where he became student body president. At the University of Missouri-Columbia, he studied Russian and military history and led his ROTC team to two back-to-back regional championships in the annual Ranger Challenge.
Edens had a dimpled smile and was known for keeping his college classes in stitches, including with an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.
"I'm looking through old pictures, and he's always front and center with the biggest smile, hamming it up," said longtime friend Chris Luppen. "He was just well-loved by everybody."
Army 1st Lt. William A. Edens was killed in action on 4/28/05.
1 comment:
This picture says a lot about Wil; he made everything seem easy. He also had a way of making those around him happier in what ever they were suffering through.
Best wishes to all that knew him.
J
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