My grandfather, Reginald, still tells stories of his brother, 50 years after his passing. And his wife still fills every room in her house with photos of him down there in Florida.
I think the circumstances of his passing are worth mentioning though not just because he is missed so much by those who knew him, but also because of its historical significance. He passed away from cancer in the 1950's. The cancer was described by doctors as being thoroughly throughout his body.
Edmund was apparently one of the unlucky soldiers selected to witness the tests of the atomic bomb. We've probably all seen the footage of the tests, and in hindsight it looks really strange putting troops in trenches in the desert next to the blast. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but I am sure the activity lead straight to Edmond's cancer.
Anyway, I think it's worth documenting this fact. I know many question the use of the bomb, but I don't. It's very clear why they had to use it when you understand what their generation was facing. And, I think it's worth remembering that we had casualties from it as well.
To Edmond,
Love,
Rich Gutowski 2-7-2010