Texas History Minute

claimed he had graduated from Texas A&M University in 1910 after playing halfback for the football team. He also claimed that he had a degree from Baylor University after playing football for them However, poorly kept records at Baylor and an archival fire at Texas A&M made it impossible to either support or reject his claims of attending either one He never completed the program before embarking on his next adventure.

In 1920, he served as a press aide for U S Senator Warren Harding’s presidential campaign After Harding’s election, Edwards worked as an advisor to Harding on veterans issues He spent several years in New York and took a series of jobs, including writing and publicity campaigns He was a member of the Comeback Club, a group of veterans helping fellow veterans adjusting to their injuries and life after the war Congress consolidated all programs for World War I veterans into the Veterans Bureau in 1921, and Edwards went to work for the bureau in 1923 as a special administrator for rehabilitation programs and became an advocate for vocational programs After his work with the federal government ended in 1926, he returned to New York and took a series of jobs, including as a court receiver in bankruptcy cases

Edwards became a popular speaker and toured across the country on a number of occasions in the 1920s and 1930s, captivating audiences with his tales His life was featured in two books: a compilation of magazine articles on Medal of Honor recipients titled Medals of Honor by James Hopper in 1929 and This Side of Hell by famed journalist Lowell Thomas in 1932.

He married twice, once in 1921 in New York He remarried in Georgia in 1941 He had five children altogether.

When the United States entered World War II, Edwards stepped up to serve once again He had certainly given enough in the First World War, but he felt he had to give more Though now past 40 and with many injuries, he was not sent back into the infantry Instead, the army used him to promote the war effort, a task he took on proudly Edwards also periodically worked as a war correspondent as well After the war ended, he stepped away from the army with the rank of major

Though he was cited for his amazing acts of courage during the war, he admitted that he was scared at the time As he told a reporter in a 1928 interview, “Whenever I did one of these things, I was scared to death ”

Edwards spent his last years in Arkansas He settled in the Hot Springs area and worked quietly as a fishing guide on Lake Ouachita

It was a simple job of helping others make the most of a special time in their lives He still spoke to the occasional group and still worked with veterans causes For Edwards, the 1950s and 1960s were a time far removed from warfare and battle He enjoyed the peace he had won for others and deserved for himself, spending his days on a clear blue lake in a majestic forest. He passed away at the age of 70 at the veterans hospital in Little Rock in October 1967

School board

Continued from page 1 p g determine if action needed to take place on an unnamed employee of the district regarding the recommendation to send notice of proposed termination and eventual termination of the identified probationary contract employee The board, along with Dawsey who was no longer an official board

, session which lasted for nearly 30 minutes Upon the board's arrival back in public session, a motion was made and approved to take no action on the matter

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Jan 22 due to the school holiday on Jan 15