George A. Edmunds was born in New London in January 1934. Although the focus of his professional life was on journalism and public information, he was most happily occupied when near his family, working in the out-of-doors and in a rural environment.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1952, three days after graduation from New London High School, and served on active duty as a journalist until 1962. He was ships company aboard the heavy attack aircraft carriers Ticonderoga and Coral Sea and served on temporary assignments with the U.S. Sixth and U.S. Second fleets aboard the tactical command ship USS Northampton and the heavy cruiser USS Albany. His last active duty assignments with the U. S. Navy were with the Supreme Allied Command Atlantic in Norfolk, Va., and with NATO’s Striking Fleet Atlantic. His military training included Submarine School in New London, Conn., Firefighting School, in Newport, R.I., and journalism, photography, and public affairs schools in North Chicago, Ill., Indianapolis, Ind., and Washington, D.C.

On return to civilian life in 1962, he worked for the Bennington Daily Banner (VT), was a reporter-photographer for Fosters Daily Democrat in Dover, and then worked eight years for the Manchester Union Leader, Manchester, where his assignments included successively: reporter, photo editor; assistant night editor, and night editor.

George served 10 years as a public affairs technician with the 157th Air Refueling Group, New Hampshire Air National Guard, and he retired from the U.S. Air Force (NHANG) in 1987 with the rank of master sergeant.

He was a member of American Legion Post 40, New London; Tidewater Branch 38 of the Armed Forces Writers’ League, Norfolk, Va.; Fleet Reserve Association, Ocean View, Va.; and, while living in Strafford in the 1960s, he served on the town’s Sesquicentennial Committee and Sesquicentennial History Committee. He was a life member of the Air Force Association. He served briefly as a volunteer with the fire departments in New London and Strafford. He also was a scoutmaster for New London’s Troop 71 and scoutmaster for Strafford’s Boy Scout troop.