In
Memory of U.S. Army Specialist Fourth Class
Edwin Harry “Eddie” Case was born in Alliance, Nebraska,
on March 15, 1947, to Clifford and Birdie Case. He had one
sister, Barbara, and two brothers, Clinton and Keith, who
died when he was 12. Their hometown was Batesland, South
Dakota. Edwin attended first through eighth grade in
Batesland. Edwin’s brother, Clint, who was six years older
than Edwin, remembers that whenever he told Edwin to do
something, Edwin would argue and say, “You’re not my boss.”
Edwin later attended Bennett County High School in Martin,
which he graduated from in 1965. After graduation he went to
a technical college in Denver, Colorado. He returned to
Batesland from college in 1966. He then worked at an auto
body shop in Martin and drove the school bus from Batesland
to Martin until he joined the service. Barbara’s daughter,
who was ten years younger than Edwin, remembers, “He was
always smiling and cheerful and didn’t seem to mind having a
little niece following him around all the time asking him
all kinds of questions.” She would always ask him where he
was going and he would say, “Crazy. Want to go with me?”
Edwin entered the service on September 22, 1967, at Hot
Springs, South Dakota, and did his basic training at Fort
Lewis, Washington. He also attended a communications school
at Fort Gordon, Georgia. On April 5, 1968, he was sent
overseas where he was stationed in Vietnam, as a U.S. Amy
Specialist Fourth Class in Company D, 299th Engineers
Battalion, 937th Engineers Group, 18th Engineers Brigade. He
wrote home frequently, including letters to his minister,
Rev. Gabel. His sister, Barb, remembers that Edwin sent home
some special gifts from Vietnam to her and her family.
Army Specialist Fourth Class Edwin Harry Case died of
wounds from a mine detonation in Vietnam on November 1,
1968. His company and he were clearing a friendly mine field
when one of the mines already picked up went off. His
Commanding Officer wrote to the family that Edwin’s job took
“courage and competence” and that Edwin “most definitely had
these qualities.” He ended the letter with, “I could not
hope to lessen your grief but believe me it is shared by
every member of this company.” On November 2, 1968, a
memorial service was held in Vietnam for Edwin and another
soldier who was also killed in the explosion. The Commanding
Officer had the following words to say:
You were lucky if you got to know Case
well. But it didn’t take
long to find out that if there was work to be done, Case
would be
doing more than his share. I don’t think he ever missed
a mine sweep.
He was a good man in the field or as a friend.
No bugles played when Case and
Spradlin volunteered for the mine
clearing party. Every man here knew the danger of the
operation.
Spradlin and Case said “I’ll do it” like they always
did.
There will be no stories about their
lives in the New York Times, not
even the Pacific Stars and Stripes. Their brand of glory
does not sell well….
His body was returned to the United States, first
arriving to San Francisco and then to Rapid City and finally
to Gordon, Nebraska with a military escort. A memorial
service was held on November 14, 1968, at the First
Methodist Church of Gordon followed by burial at the Chadron
cemetery with full military honors.
Army Specialist Fourth Class Case was awarded the
National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal,
Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Expert Badge with automatic rifle
bar, and Marksman Badge with rifle bar.
Edwin is currently survived by his mother, Birdie Case,
Gordon, Nebraska; his sister, Barbara Zlomke, Batesland; his
brother, Clinton Case, Thousand Oaks, California; his niece,
Jerri Oller Martin and her son, Tristan, Mesa, Arizona; and
his nephew, Keith Case and his children, Kyle and Kendall,
Henderson, Nevada.
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Dedication Promotional Video
