| NAME: Edward Albert Babst, Jr. |
NICKNAME: — |
SERVICE NUMBER: 559068 |
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| HOME OF RECORD: Cincinnati, OH |
NEXT OF KIN: Parents, Edward & Viola Babst |
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| DATE OF BIRTH: 8/30/1926 |
SERVICE DATES: 1944 – 1946 |
DATE OF DEATH: 11/30/1993 |
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| CAMPAIGN | UNIT | MOS | RATE | RESULT | |||
| None Served | A/1/24 | 745 | Private | ||||
| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS: — |
LAST KNOWN RANK: Private |
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Edward was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1926. He was the oldest child of Edward and Viola Babst, and may have wanted to become a truck driver like his father.
In 1944, Edward volunteered for the Marine Corps and traveled to Parris Island for boot camp. After completing his initial training in early 1945, he was sent to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for assignment to the 58th Replacement Draft. As a qualified rifleman, he was a welcome addition to Company A, 24th Marines–they had taken heavy casualties in the battle of Iwo Jima, and were in dire need of replacements when Private Babst arrived on May 5, 1945. Babst trained with them for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before he had a chance to see combat. After the war, he served with the 17th Separate MP Battalion until his discharge.
After the war, Edward returned to Cincinnati, where married Sereta Ball on January 10, 1948. He became involved in the newspaper industry, first as a copy cutter and then as a photographer for the Cincinnati Times-Star–some of his photos, credited to Eddie Babst, appeared in Sports Illustrated.
Babst died in 1993, and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati.