Edward Laird ★ World War II Gold Star Veteran from Alabama
On June 28, 1944 Second Lieutenant Laird was declared a casualty of World War II. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army Air Forces. ★ He is remembered by the people of Alabama. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Edward Laird is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2023-06-12 02:30:41.
Missing : Core Data
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Missing : Supplemental Data
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Service Details
| This Profile ID | 323448 |
| Service ID | O-814831 |
| Name | Edward Laird |
| From | Brighton, Jefferson County, Alabama |
| Birth Date | February 12, 1921 |
| Casualty Date | June 28, 1944 |
| War | World War II |
| Service Branch | Army Air Forces |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Specialty | Pilot |
| Unit/Group | 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron |
| Casualty Type | Non Hostile, Air Crash |
| Location | Italy |
| Burial | Greenwood Cemetery, Tuskegee, Alabama |
| Notable Awards |
★ Air Medal |
Additional Details
Edward Laird was one of the seven children of Dave Laird and Cora Thomas. He enlisted in the US Army Air Force on November 3, 1943. He was sent to the Tuskegee Institute and was commissioned as an officer and pilot. Edward was voted "most talented undergraduate on campus" and won a trip to New York City. On June 29, 1943 he married Annie Estelle Motley. He was soon assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron based in Ramitelli, Italy.On June 28, 1944 he was killed during takeoff on a bomber escort mission when his P-47D Thunderbolt #42-28613 went off the runway and crashed. |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Air Medal
★ United States Aviator Badge Army
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.Alabama Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Alabama who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
▶ Alabama was home to over 9,311 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 1,327 World War I
• 6,043 World War II
• 730 Korean War
• 1,211 Vietnam War
• 105 Prisoners of war
• 1,519 Missing in action
• 52 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 79 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 8 Medal of Honor recipients
• 6,043 World War II
• 730 Korean War
• 1,211 Vietnam War
• 105 Prisoners of war
• 1,519 Missing in action
• 52 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 79 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 8 Medal of Honor recipients
Guardians of Honor Credits
▼ Organizational Supporters - HonorStates.org and the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans is stringently curated. This attention to quality extends to our supporters program. We carefully research and screen prospective organizations we perceive as being suitably aligned with our mission
▶ Rolling Thunder National Riders
▶ National Memorial Day Parade with Spirit of 45
▶ American Veterans Center 75th D-Day Congressional Reception
▶ USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor
▼ Research Contributors - Groups and individuals who have been directly responsible for curating content. Some are experienced historians and archivists, others are enthusiastic members of the public who have suggested content additions or corrections.
Honor States Admin
Roy "Joker"
Sarah Jo "Lady Chaos"
▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA)
Library of Congress (LOC)
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
Honoring our fallen. Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together. It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a Citizen Historian and Guardian of Honor. - learn more
Here is Some Important Information!
National D-Day Memorial
Dedicated on June 6th, 2001 by president George W. Bush, the National D-Day Memorial was constructed in honor of those who died that day, fighting in one of the most significant battles in our nations history.
★ Featured National Supporter
Our Supporters are Essential Team Members! - learn more
Grace - Thank you for this tribute to our fallen veterans. They were wonderful young men who died way too young. It is sad.
Irvin - Your website is outstanding and a great tribute to the Patriots who gave all. As a Vietnam veteran, I thank you very much.
Travis - What an incredibly determined human being. These guys are what make up the backbone of our country. Thanks for your work.
Laura - I'm proud of their military service and the ultimate contribution for my freedom. It does help me get through tough times.
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