Edward G. North was born at Newhall, Los Angeles County, California, June 25th, 1890. He was a descendant of early Nevada pioneers, his grandfather, John W. North, having been appointed Surveyor General of Nevada Territory by President Lincoln in 1862, later (1864) serving as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. His father, Edward North, was also a Nevadan, having been born at old Washoe City, in Washoe County, in 1863. Edward, the son, entered the University of Nevada at Reno in 1914, taking a course in Mining Engineering. From 1914 to 1916 his time was divided between the University and working in the mines, as he was making his own way through school. The double task proved too hard, however, and at the end of 1916, he left the University, having earned there a reputation as a member of the football, and basket ball teams, “Block N” man, pole vaulted, yell leader, and writer. At the time the war broke out he was engaged in mining in Nye County, making his home in Tonopah, but spending time also at Manhattan. In September, 1917, he made a trip to Los Angeles to see his parents before entering the service, and entered the army on the 7th of that month.

At Camp Lewis, Washington, where he first entered the ranks, he said nothing about his university education, wishing to get into the Infantry. In this he succeeded, but later transferred to the Machine-Gun branch in quest of more excitement. His assignment was to Company D, 347th Machine Gun Battalion of the 91st Division.

Corporal North went under fire for the first time on September 27th, 1918, the second day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Two hours after his Company entered the fight and while they were advancing on Epinonville, he had his left thigh fractured by an explosive bullet which left seven large and more than twenty small pieces in the wound. The leg was not set as it might have been with the result that suppuration set in, followed by osteomyolitis. On his way home he fell and broke his leg again at St. Nazaire. This time the limb was well set, but the suppuration continued.

On March 24th, 1919, he left New York on what was called the “Million Dollar Hospital Train de Lux.” Arriving at Camp Kearney, California, on the 29th, it was discovered that his wound was in a desperate condition. Consequently, an operation was performed on April 7th, 1919, and he died the same day. His parents, Edward and Mary E. North, reside at 441 South Cummings Street, Los Angeles, California. They have received many letters from those who knew their son in the service, all of which praise his bravery under fire and courage in the hospitals. “He was a good soldier,” say his nurses; “He was wounded while directing his gun against a German strong point,” wrote his Captain. The boy, Edward, who had won the acclaim of his fellow students in college, became the man, Corporal North, in the test of fire, and has won the acclaim of over a hundred million Americans.