Nevada National Guard’s Maj. Gen. Edsall dies at age 92

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Floyd L. Edsall, the namesake of the National Guard readiness center that was built in North Las Vegas in 1997, died Jan. 29 in Sparks. He was 92.

Edsall, the Nevada National Guard’s first full-time adjutant general, commanded the Nevada Air and Army Guard from 1967 to 1979.

Retired Brig. Gen. Stan Jones said Edsall deserves credit for expanding the Guard when it was difficult to attract recruits during the Vietnam War. The Nevada Army Guard grew about 30 percent during his tenure, to a total of more than 1,200 soldiers in 1979.

Major projects completed under his leadership include the Nevada Military Department headquarters in Carson City, the Henderson Armory and an Elko maintenance shop, and the armory in North Las Vegas that is named after him, and home to the 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry, a unit of more than 700 Nevada soldiers that returned from a yearlong Afghanistan deployment in 2010.

As adjutant general, Edsall succeeded Col. Addison Millard and, due to the revision of Nevada Militia laws by the 1967 Nevada Legislature, Edsall was the state’s first full-time adjutant general. Those same laws created the Nevada Military Department and a Nevada Code of Military Justice.

“Edsall’s appointment as the Nevada Guard’s first full-time adjutant general marked the Legislature’s realization that the Nevada Guard was a significant resource for the state and required full-time management and oversight,” said state archivist Jeff Kintop.

Despite the difficulty of recruiting in the midst of an unpopular war, the Nevada Army Guard increased from 880 soldiers in 1967 to 1,224 soldiers in 1979.

The Nevada Air Guard hovered at about 700 airmen throughout Edsall’s term.

“He always wanted what was best for the Nevada Guard,” said Jones, who was a personnel officer on Edsall’s staff in 1970-79.

“There were difficulties with funding and it was tough to attract recruits during the Vietnam War, but the Nevada Guard continued to grow.”

The Nevada Army Guard’s aviation operation expanded under Edsall from three soldiers operating one observational helicopter to a full company of about 30 soldiers flying UH-1 Huey helicopters.

Edsall also oversaw several major events in Nevada Air Guard history, including the 1968 deployment of the entire organization and the 1975 transition from RF-101B Voodoo aircraft to RF-4C Phantom II aircraft.

Jones said evidence of Edsall’s effectiveness was the fact he was retained by two subsequent governors after he was appointed by Gov. Paul Laxalt. He also worked for Mike O’ Callaghan in 1971-79 and Robert List in 1979.

Born on Dec. 14, 1921, in Covelo, Calif., Edsall’s rise through the military ranks began with his participation in ROTC at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received his commission at Fort Benning, Ga., in 1944 and then fought in Europe in World War II and was awarded the Silver Star and three Bronze Stars. He received his Silver Star for his actions in April 1945 while assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division.

During his long civilian teaching and coaching career at Elko and Sparks high schools and UNR after World War II, Edsall remained active in the Nevada Guard. He attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1959, the same year he began coaching football and track and field at UNR. He was a health and physical education professor at UNR before becoming the adjutant general in 1967, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. After his retirement from the military, he was executive director of the Reno Air Racing Association from 1980 to 1985.

Edsall’s military and athletic prowess was often recognized. He is in the Infantry Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, and the former state champion in the long jump and high jump is also in the halls of fame at Sparks and Elko high schools.

The Nevada Army Guard’s 1,697-acre training facility on Range Road in North Las Vegas was dedicated as the Maj. Gen. Floyd Edsall Training Center on May 10, 1997, to recognize Edsall’s contributions to the Guard.

A public memorial for Edsall is pending at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308. Follow him on Twitter @KeithRogers2.