George Steven Edley was born on November 14, 1945. His home of record is Keasbey, NJ. He graduated from South Amboy High School in 1963.

He served in the US Marine Corps and attained the rank of Corporal (CPL). He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines and stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA.

In January 1966, Edley prepared to leave for his second tour in Vietnam. He departed by ship to Okinawa, stopping briefly at Pearl Harbor. After three days in Hawaii, they set off to complete their 23-day journey. Once in Okinawa, they were reorganized. They trained for war in the mountains and jungles of Okinawa for about two months.

Edley landed in Vietnam on April 13, 1966, and was killed in action on April 27, 1966. He is buried at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Ford, NJ.

“Mine were the last eyes George saw…the last voice he heard. He felt no pain…no terror. He died while laughing. I looked up to him. He had been in country before and knew war. George felt he was in Vietnam for a purpose; he felt that ‘he stood on a wall and no one was going to hurt you, not on his watch.’ He was a good man. He would have enjoyed life given the chance, and made good use of it. I think of him all the time. There hasn’t been a special moment in my life that I didn’t think of him and the trememdous sacrifice he and his family made. I have tried to live a good life, in part, in his name and honor.”
-Robert Haehnel

Sources: John F. Kennedy High School, Robert Haehnel, various websites and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024