Merritt Austin Edson was born in Rutland, Vermont, on April 25, 1897, and soon after his birth his family returned to their native Chester. He graduated from Chester High School in 1915 and, while attending the University of Vermont that year, joined the Vermont National Guard. In the summer of 1916 he was mobilized with the National Guard to pursue Poncho Villa at Eagle Pass, Texas, and in June 1917 he enlisted in the Marine Corps during WWI. He deployed to France with the 11th Marines in October 1918, earned wings as a naval aviator in June 1922, led the Coco River patrol in Nicaragua in 1928-1929, and served with the 4th Marines in Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1939. In February 1942 he formed the 1st Raider Battalion, fought at Tulagi in the Solomon Islands on August 7-8, 1942, and at Lunga Ridge on Guadalcanal on September 12-14, 1942. In November 1943 he became Chief of Staff of the 2nd Marine Division during the Battle of Tarawa, was promoted to Brigadier General in December 1943, served as Assistant Division Commander of the 2nd Marine Division during the Battles of Saipan and Tinian from June to August 1944, and from July to December 1945 was Commanding General, Service Comand, Fleet Marine Force Pacific. He retired from the Marine Corps as a Major General on August 1, 1947. His decorations included the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross with Gold Star, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit with Combat Distinguishing Device and Gold Star, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation with two Bronze Stars, Mexican Border Service Medal, World War I Victory Medal with France Clasp, Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, China Service Medal with Bronze Star, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Silver Star, American Campaign Medal, Victory Medal WWII, Medal of Merit with Silver Star, British Distinguished Service Order, and Distinguished Rifleman Badge. In civilian life, he testified before Congress in 1947 against the unification of the Armed Services, formed the Vermont State Police on July 1, 1947, served as president of the National Rifle Association from 1949 to 1951 and as its executive director beginning in July 1951, led the Marine Corps War Memorial Foundation from 1952 to 1954 as it erected the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and died in Washington, D.C., on August 14, 1955.