MILITARY TIME
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
EDE PATTERSON IV
Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret.)
Combat Air Rescue
1953 — 1976 • 23 YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
AIM HIGH
FLY — FIGHT — WIN
MASTER SERGEANT • E-7
Senior Non-Commissioned Officer
SERVICE RIBBONS
"I, Ede Patterson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same..."
— OATH OF ENLISTMENT, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, 1953
RANK PROGRESSION
From the moment he raised his right hand in 1953, Ede Patterson IV rose through the ranks with quiet determination and unwavering excellence.
1953
Airman Basic
1954
Airman
1956
Airman First Class
1959
Staff Sergeant
1963
Technical Sergeant
1968
Master Sergeant
1976
Retired with Honor
ENLISTED RANK STRUCTURE
Ede rose to Master Sergeant (E-7) — a Senior NCO
HONORABLY DISCHARGED
1976 • After 23 Years of Distinguished Service
THE AIRCRAFT EDE FLEW ON
C-130 Hercules & C-141 Starlifter — the workhorses of USAF airlift
C-130 Hercules — one of the aircraft Ede flew on during his USAF service
AIRCRAFT
C-130 Hercules
ROLE
Tactical Transport
ENGINES
4 × Turboprop
SERVICE ERA
1956–present
AIRCRAFT
C-141 Starlifter
ROLE
Strategic Airlift
ENGINES
4 × Turbofan
SERVICE ERA
1965–2006
The C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter were the backbone of USAF airlift operations during Ede Patterson's service. The C-130, with its remarkable versatility, could operate from short and unprepared runways, while the C-141 Starlifter provided intercontinental strategic airlift capability. Ede flew on both of these legendary aircraft during his distinguished career.
HH-43 HUSKIE BY THE NUMBERS
Rescues Performed
Theaters of Operation
Units Produced
THE RESCUEMAN'S CREED
"It is my duty as a Pararescueman to save life and to aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these duties before personal desires and comforts. These things I do, that others may live."
— The creed of those who served in Combat Air Rescue
THE WINGMAN CONCEPT
"I will never leave an Airman behind. I will never falter. I will not fail."
A principle Ede lived every day — in uniform and out
SERVICE DURATION
January 1953 — 1976
23
Years
276
Months
8,395
Days
DUTY STATIONS
Lackland AFB
San Antonio, TX
Basic Training • 1953
Various CONUS Bases
Continental US
Active Duty • 1954–1970s
McChord AFB
Tacoma, WA
Final Assignment • 1970s–1976
BASE LIFE
LACKLAND AFB
1953San Antonio, Texas
Known as the 'Gateway to the Air Force,' Lackland was where every Airman's journey began. Basic Military Training pushed recruits to their limits — physically and mentally — forging civilians into disciplined servicemembers.
MCCHORD AFB
1970s–1976Tacoma, Washington
Ede's final assignment brought him to the Pacific Northwest, where McChord served as a major Military Airlift Command base. The base supported strategic airlift operations and was home to C-141 Starlifter units. Tacoma became the Patterson family's permanent home.
In uniform — a life of service
AIRCRAFT OF EDE'S ERA
C-130 HERCULES
Transport — Ede flew on this
1956–present
C-141 STARLIFTER
Strategic Airlift — Ede flew on this
1965–2006
HH-43 HUSKIE
Crash Rescue
1958–1970s
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Ede enlisted in 1953, the year the Korean War armistice was signed. The Air Force was only 6 years old as an independent branch.
Throughout his entire career, the Cold War shaped U.S. military strategy. The Air Force became the nation's primary nuclear deterrent.
During this period, the USAF conducted extensive operations. Ede served through this era with distinction and dedication.
As an African American serviceman, Ede served during a transformative era in American history, breaking barriers through quiet excellence.
COLD WAR CONTEXT
Ede's service through one of America's most defining eras
Korean War ends
Space Race begins
Peak of Cold War tensions
Vietnam War escalates
America wins Space Race
Paris Peace Accords
23 years of service
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND
During Ede's service, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the backbone of America's nuclear deterrent. SAC maintained constant vigilance throughout the Cold War, with bombers and tankers on 24-hour alert. The motto "Peace Is Our Profession" reflected the paradox of preparing for war to prevent it. Ede served during this critical era, when every Airman understood that readiness was the price of freedom.
DID YOU KNOW?
The United States Air Force was established as an independent branch on September 18, 1947. When Ede Patterson IV enlisted in 1953, the Air Force was only 6 years old. He was among the first generation of Airmen to serve in the modern Air Force, helping to define its traditions and standards of excellence.
AIR FORCE CORE VALUES
INTEGRITY FIRST
The foundation of military trust
SERVICE BEFORE SELF
23 years of selfless dedication
EXCELLENCE IN ALL WE DO
The standard he lived by
NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET
Tap each letter to reveal its call sign
MARCHING CADENCE
A familiar rhythm to every Airman
THE U.S. AIR FORCE SONG
"Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder"
A LIFE OF SERVICE
In 1953, at just 18 years old, Ede Patterson IV answered the call to serve his country by enlisting in the United States Air Force. What began as a young man's sense of duty became a defining chapter of his life — one that would span 23 years of dedicated military service.
He wore his service with humility and carried it with pride. Every day, every assignment, every challenge was met with the same steadfast resolve that defined him as a man, a father, and an Airman.
THE AIRMAN'S CREED
I am an American Airman.
I am a warrior.
I have answered my nation's call.
I am an American Airman.
My mission is to fly, fight, and win.
I am faithful to a proud heritage,
a tradition of honor,
and a legacy of valor.
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
FROM MILITARY TO FEDERAL SERVICE
When Ede retired from the Air Force in 1976 after 23 years of distinguished service, he didn't rest. He transitioned seamlessly into federal government service, dedicating another 30 years to his country — totaling an extraordinary 53 years of combined service to the United States.
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
CERTIFICATE OF RETIREMENT
This is to certify that
MASTER SERGEANT
EDE PATTERSON IV
having served faithfully and honorably in the
United States Air Force, is hereby retired
1976
After 23 Years of Distinguished Service
Years of Military Service
Years of Federal Service
Total Years Serving Country
Age at Enlistment
POW ★ MIA
YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
In honor of all who served and sacrificed, especially those who never returned home
MISSING MAN FORMATION
21-GUN SALUTE
FOLDING THE FLAG...
A MILITARY FAMILY
The discipline, structure, and values of military life didn't stay on base — they came home. Ede raised his family with the same principles that guided his service: integrity, respect, and an unwavering commitment to doing what's right.
His children — His children — Trina, Ede, Christy, and Gayle — grew up understanding that service to others is the highest calling. That lesson, planted in the soil of military life, bore fruit in every generation that followed. — grew up understanding that service to others is the highest calling. That lesson, planted in the soil of military life, bore fruit in every generation that followed.
MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION
Beyond his professional career, Ede volunteered his time mentoring young boys in Tacoma public schools — sharing wisdom earned through decades of discipline, sacrifice, and integrity.
Many of those young men went on to serve their communities, build families, and live lives of purpose — carrying forward the lessons Ede taught them.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Master Sergeant Ede Patterson IV served his country with honor, courage, and distinction for 23 years in the United States Air Force. His dedication continued for another 30 years in federal service.
53 years of faithful service to the United States of America
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
— JOHN 15:13