Bill Edge was born on November 17, 1929, in Jacksonville, Florida. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 1, 1948, and served in combat during the Korean War as an Infantry Sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge on July 13, 1951. Sgt Edge reenlisted in the Army on February 22, 1953, and served as a Squad Leader with Headquarters Company of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from May 1953 to May 1957. His next assignment was as a Platoon Sergeant with Company C of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg from June 1957 to July 1959, followed by service as a Platoon Sergeant with Company C and then A, 1st Brigade of the 34th Infantry Regiment at Augsburg, West Germany, from July 1959 to October 1960. SFC Edge served as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, 1st Brigade of the 325th Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg from November 1960 to June 1961, and then served as a Team Leader with the U.S. Army Parachute Team, which he was credited with naming the Golden Knights, at Fort Bragg from June 1961 to July 1962. His next assignment was as an Operations Sergeant with Company C, 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg from July to October 1962, and then with the Special Forces Training Group at Fort Bragg from October 1962 to October 1963. SGM Edge served as an Operations Sergeant and as Company Sergeant Major with Company C, 1st Special Forces Group on Okinawa and deployed to Southeast Asia from October 1963 to December 1966, followed by service as Operations Sergeant and B Detachment Sergeant Major with Company A, 6th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg from December 1966 to May 1968. He served as Operations Sergeant and Group Operations Sergeant Major with the 5th Special Forces Group in South Vietnam from May 1968 to April 1969, and then served as Chief Enlisted Advisor with the U.S. Army Artillery Group with the U.S. Army Reserve at Oak Park, Illinois, from May 1969 to August 1970. CSM Edge served as Command Sergeant Major of several units from August 1970 to September 1973, followed by service as Command Sergeant Major with the U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance (John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance after March 1974) at Fort Bragg from September 1973 to until his retirement from the Army on December 31, 1976. After his retirement from the Army, Bill Edge served as Chief of Security for Electronic Data Systems from January 1977 to October 1979. He died on April 13, 2003.

Soldier's Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.