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<em>Edwin Gilbert Northup</em> moved from the cornfields of Iowa to the parade field of West Point without breaking stride. Ed, the first son of Byron and Anita Northup, spent his youth in Lenox, IA, on a farm with five siblings, developing a firsthand relationship with hard work. Excelling in both academic and athletic endeavors (he lettered in both football and track) at Lenox Community High School, “North” brought his diligent work ethic and an easy-going manner to the gray pressure cooker of Viet Nam-era West Point.</p>
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Ed and I roomed together as underclassmen, and although we were no longer roommates our Firstie year, we took the Flight Aptitude Selection Test—Officer Battery together, a test that determined whether one was qualified for aviation training. Ed really wanted to fly, and when we passed, we were elated by the prospect of being paid to drive expensive Army-supplied helicopters at ridiculously fast speeds and dramatically low altitudes. (“Drive” was the humorous slang term we used to understate the skill level of piloting aircraft!) Ed had set his sights on Cobra gun-ships and would settle for nothing less when the time came to take flight training.</p>
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After graduation, Ed was commissioned in the Field Artillery and followed the prescribed path for officers through Airborne School and the basic course. He reported to the 5th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, CO, and spent the mandatory four-month stateside tour there before attending flight school en route to Viet Nam. He completed Primary Helicopter Training and fulfilling his desire, subsequently qualified as an AH1-G gun-ship pilot. On 2 Apr 1972, he joined his unit in Viet Nam, ultimately assigned to F Troop, 79th Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, the “Blue Max.”</p>
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On 20 June, during the Easter Offensive of 1972, Ed and his co-pilot were responding to a request for cover from a UH-1H pilot who had taken ground fire in the vicinity of Tan Khai when they themselves were hit near An Loc. Ed, the consummate pilot who was rumored to have gained his flying skills from one-handed tractor driving on the farm, set the badly damaged aircraft down safely and helped his wounded copilot from the wreckage. Prior to extraction, they were discovered by enemy ground troops and valiantly fought back several attacks before finally being overrun and killed. On 1 Jul 1972, Ed was interred near his boyhood home in Corning, IA.</p>
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Ed was a loyal friend and classmate-oriented cadet, and we especially remember his humorous side and personal adaptability to Academy life. Academically, Ed was particularly adept at the sciences and shared his expertise by tutoring his classmates, helping (and sometimes dragging) many of them from the brink of the D-list. He had a knack for articulating key information to even the most wooden of his peers.</p>
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After maintaining a low profile Plebe year, Ed ventured forth into extracurricular activities Yearling year, forging a relationship with <em>Bugle Notes</em> that he nourished until he graduated. His greatest contribution was the major rewrite, along with the B-3-dominated <em>Bugle Notes</em> staff, of the sacred cadet book during First Class year. His well-honed skills as a high school shade tree mechanic in Lenox stood him in good stead when he was elected as the company representative to the Automobile Committee, also while a firstie.</p>
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Ed’s second most memorable trait was his ability to sleep through virtually any natural or manmade occurrence. On one occasion, after being awoken by the raucous clamor of the Minute Caller and the Reveille Bell, Ed donned Class B, including his saucer cap, and sat on his bed mustering the courage to brave the impending dark, cold formation. Guy Miller and I observed him in an upright and awake position as we shuffled out of the room. A short time later in formation when rendering the report, his squad leader reported, “Northup absent.” When we returned to the room, we found Ed, in full uniform, lying on his side atop his still-made bed, sound asleep.</p>
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Ed’s most memorable trait, however, was his love for Theresa Marie Spittle, his cherished “TC.” She endured the long trip from Delaware to West Point on a regular basis and made life at The Rock bearable for Ed. Their relationship lasted through Ed’s four years at USMA, and the day after graduation they were married in TC’s hometown of Elsmere, DE. TC was a constant source of strength and encouragement to him during their time together.</p>
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Although we journeyed with Ed for only a short while, we came to know him as a bright, caring person. With an appropriate quip for any occasion, he made cadet life a little more tolerable with his presence. The memory of his ready smile and affable personality rests in our hearts and at Panel 01W 047 on the Viet Nam Memorial.</p>
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<em>Denis Gulakowski and B-3 classmates</em></p>