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On 1 July 1920, <em>Edward Higgins White</em> entered the United States Military to become one of a multitude who “climbed the hill" to make up the Class of 1924. Thus, Eddie started a military life which he had predetermined would be his career.</div>
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He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on 22 May 1901 to Alexander B. and Cecelia Higgins White, of a prominent Fort Wayne family that had pioneered in the mid-west and had a military background dating back to the Colonial days. Thus, it seemed natural that their sons all sought military careers. Jim, the oldest, was commissioned in the Infantry, Eddie selected the Army Air Force while Jack, the youngest and a Naval Academy graduate, joined the Marine Corps.</div>
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Bv personal attributes, Eddie was well suited to life as a West Point cadet. A husky, good looking, attractive, young man of calm nature and a goad sense of humor, yet a strong competitor, he had high standards of integrity and morality, and a keen sense of loyalty and responsibility to his country, his family and his friends, In time he was to show that he had ample physical and moral courage. He had to work for his grades at the Academy but was a comfortable mid-class student. He was an above average athlete in football and hasebatl with whirls at the varsity squad in both. As a plebe he drop-kicked the winning field goal that brought a Corps football championship to “C" Company.</div>
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While Eddie was a cadet, aviation in the services began to attain prominence. Introductory instruction was initiated at West Point. Some practical exposure was given when we were yearlings at Camp Dix and First Class men at Mitchel Field. Military aviators were setting records. As a demonstration, an Army plane landed on and took off from the parade ground at West Point. Eddie decided that the Army Air Corps was the way into the future and selected this service when we graduated on 12 June 1924.</div>
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During the next seven years Eddie was located at then well-known Army Air Force training locations such as Brooks and Kelly Fields in Texas and Scott Field in Illinois. He graduated from Primary and Advanced Flying Schools and from the Balloon and Airship School with rating from all of them.</div>
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During this period Eddie made the smartest move of his life. When he came to West Point, he had a "one and only" back in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mary Rosina Haller. Though Ed was always popular with the young ladies who came up to the dances at West Point, he was faithful to his one and only through the tortuous passage of four years at West Point. Allowing a year to get feet on the ground in the service, Eddie and Mary were married on 22 July 1925. It was a most fortunate marriage as they complemented and supplemented each other and, as a couple, were most suited to the service and to the retired life that was to be theirs. They were blessed with three fine children: Jeanne, born 2 November 1927 at Belleville, Illinois, Edward H. II, born 14 November 1930 at San Antonio, Texas, and James B., born 14 March 1942 at Dayton, Ohio.</div>
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In these early years, Eddie had his share of trying moments. In 1927 he made the first successful landing of a dirigible on water, effecting the rescue of a stranded balloonist. On another occasion, he was first to execute the passage of a sack of mail from an Army dirigible to a train while both were traveling at 30 miles an hour. In 1930 he became a member of the "Caterpillar Club" when he was forced to make an emergency parachute jump, which was successful, from a disabled fighter type aircraft. Several years later, less fortunately, he was seriously injured when both engines of a twin-engine transport plane failed during a test flight resulting in a crash. Later investigation disclosed a serious engineering error in the aircraft design was the cause of the accident.</div>
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After a pleasant two years in Hawaii, 1931-1933, mostly commanding the 6th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field, Eddie attended the Army Industrial College in Washington, graduating in 1934. This immediately moved him into the procurement side of the Army Air Corps, so after a year in the field in Chicago, he attended the two year course at the Harvard School of Business Administration in Cambridge, Massachusetts, graduating with honors in 1937 with a master’s degree in Business Administration.</div>
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Practically all assignments from 1939 through World War II involved budgeting, fiscal and materiel matters for the rapidly expanding Air Materiel Command, and with its formation as a separate service in 1947, in the Air Force. These included a tour at Wright Field, a year with the office of the Chief of Army Air Force in Washington, a brief time out to attend the Air Corps Tactical School, another stint at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, 1942-1941, with the Air Service Command. During this period, Eddie was moving up in rank, becoming a colonel in 1942, and getting assignments of greatly increasing responsibility, particularly in view of the tremendous expansion and developments in the Air Corps,</div>
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Brought hack in Army Air Force Headquarters in Washington in 1944, he was Deputy Budget Officer and then Budget Office Headquarters, Army Air Forces, until the Air Force was formed as a separate service in 1947. More than once during the war, Eddie asked for assignment to an overseas theatre, but his educational background and experience made him one of those “ indispensable men.” Even so, he managed to get on a brief special mission assignment to the China-Burma-India Theater in 1945. For his wartime service he received the Legion of Merit and the Commendation Medal.</div>
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With the advent of the Air Force as such, Ed was promoted to brigadier general in 1947 and was Director of Budget United States Air Force and then Acting Comptroller in which capacity he had a major part in the task of organizing the office and the system for the new service until ordered to Japan in 1949.</div>
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Commanding the 1503 Air Transport Wing, based near Tokyo, was an interesting assignment and a busy one. Eddie's area of air transport responsibility extended from Honolulu to Karachi in Pakistan. One time he and I planned to explore the western portion out to Karachi but an outbreak of cholera required us to cancel out. Then came the Korean War with Eddie's Transport Wing supporting the action in Korea including the evacuation of casualties. In this latter responsibility, he personally took steps to have severely wounded men who required evacuation to the States transported back in pressurized planes. In 1951, General MacArthur personally awarded General White the Distinguished Service Medal for this outstanding work in organizing and operating the air evacuation systems.</div>
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Next assignment in 1951 was in charge of the Army-Air Force Exchange Service which had become a worldwide retail business for the military. Ed was promoted in this job to major general in 1952. His major objectives were best service to the military personnel, extending the service to where ever it was needed, most reasonable pricing possible and economy and efficiency in operation.</div>
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His last assignment was a three-year period in command at Sheppard Air Force Base. There he ran a fine operation, successfully opposed state tax on on-base cigarette sales, and kept unauthorized salesmen and "loan sharks" off the Base. As in all of his command assignments, he showed particular interest in the well being of members of the command and their families. During his 33 years of active service, Eddie had flown over 100 different types of aircraft and had logged over 8000 flying hours. Eddie was awarded the Legion of Merit (Oak Leaf Cluster) upon retirement.</div>
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Retiring in 1957, he and Mary, after considerable travel in Europe and in the States, bought a house in Florida, and were very happy in their selection. Eddie became very involved in many civac affairs. He was active in the Rotary International, International Red Cross, West Coast of Florida United Service Organization, Pinelles United Fund, member of a "Blue Ribbon” group to assist in the guidance of outstanding young men to the service academies, and spoke extensively to civic groups on the Space Program.</div>
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Unfortunately, tragedy came to Eddie and Mary in these years. Young Edward H. White II. United States Military Academy Class of 1952. an outstanding athlete, lettering in two sports, one sports writer’s choice as "All American Buy,” selected the Air Force, became a fine pilot, and then an early entrant in the astronaut program in 1962. Highly successful in this, young Ed became the world's first recognized "space walker" and was headed for greater things as a “space man" when, during an on the pad simulation, he and two others died in an unpredictable accident in the Apollo Spacecraft at Cape Canaveral in 1967.</div>
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Eddie’s younger son, James Blair, also an outstanding young man, a fine student and a good athlete, selected the Air Force Academy and, after graduation, was selected to go to Georgetown University where he received a master’s degree in Economic and Political Science in seven months. As an aviator, he was an instant success, becoming an exceptionally good pilot and instructor. Jim was missing in action while on a combat mission over Laos in 1969. The Class of 1924 was proud of Eddie and his two dedicated sons.</div>
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Fortunately, Jeanne, who married an Army medical officer, Ross Whatley, and her family had taken permanent residence in Cartersville, Georgia, and Mary and Eddie bravely rallied from these tragedies. Eddie became active in the Missing in Action efforts and continued many of his civic activities. He had experienced sonre heart problems but "learned how to handle this condition,” and was able to continue golf and reasonable physical activity. He always seemed the sanre cheerful Eddie.</div>
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The time came when Eddie, not feeling well calmly asked to be taken to the Edward H. White II Memorial Hospital in St. Petersburg, and there he quietly joined the part of the Long Gray Line in the shadows on 7 November 1978. He was interred with full military honors at West Point near his son Edward II.</div>
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Though Eddie was very successful in his chosen career, the real lasting success was the one he shared with Mary in raising such a dedicated fanrily and being able to impart to them the high personal standards, the great sense of dedication and responsibility to nation and to family, and the motivation to strive for achievement. Eddie always considered this “routine,” but if these fine personal attributes could be implanted in a high percentage of our children nationwide, our nation would have fever concerns for the futue.</div>
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As a final tribute to Eddie, Mary received the following recognition from President Carter:</div>
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The United States of America</div>
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honors the memory of</div>
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EDWARD H. WHITE</div>
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This certificate is awarded by a grateful nation in recognition of devoted and selfless consecration to the service of our country in the Armed Forces of the United States</div>
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(Signed) Jimmy Carter President of the United States</div>
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Eddie is survived by his wife Mary, at their home; a daughter, Mrs. Ross (Jeanne) Whatley of Cartersville, Georgia; a brother, Colonel John A. White, United States Marine Corps, Retired, Millbrae, California; and six grandchildren.</div>
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<em>—Roommate</em></div>
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