Heywood Lane Edwards was born at San Saba, Texas, 9 November 1905 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1926.
After serving in battleship Florida, cruiser Reno and other ships, he underwent submarine instruction in 1931, served in several submarines, and was assigned to cruiser Detroit in 1935.
LCdr. Edwards assumed command of destroyer Reuben James 6 April 1940. His ship became the first in the US Navy sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic when it was torpedoed by a German submarine while on convoy duty west of Iceland 30–31 October 1941. LCdr. Edwards and 99 of his crew perished with the ship. | 
