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Adapted from "Rear Admiral Edwin D. Foulk, Dental Corps, United States Navy, Retired" [biography, dated 20 October 1954] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

Topic
  • Medicine
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

Edwin DeWitt Foulk

18 January 1902-[death date unknown]

Edwin Dewitt Foulk was born in Rocky Ford, Colorado, on January 18, 1902, son of John C. and Carrie O. (McBride) Foulk. He attended Denver University, Denver, Colorado, from which he received the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery, the latter from the School of Dentistry of that University in 1926. He was appointed Assistant Dental Surgeon with rank of Lieutenant (jg) in the US Navy on October 24, 1927, and through subsequent promotions attained the rank of Captain in December 1943, to date from June 1, 1943. On August 1, 1946 he transferred to the Retired List of the Navy for physical disability and advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral on the basis of an award for the performance of duty in actual.

Reporting on October 29, 1927, he severed until January 1929 at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. He attended the Naval Medical School, Washington, DC, as graduate dental student from February to July 1929, and during the year following, was assigned to the US Marine Corps, with duty at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina. On May 21, 1930 he joined the USS Oklahoma a battleship of the Pacific Fleet, for his first period of sea duty, and when detached on March 1, 1933, reported to the Naval Air Station, San Diego, California. He then received orders to the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, where he served as a Dental Officer for three years.

Detached from the Naval Academy in May 1936, he reported on June 8 to the USS Wright, Flagship of Commander Aircraft, Base Force. After three years duty as Dental Officer of the Wright, he had a tour of shore duty, July 1939 to February 1941, at the Naval Training Station, Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia. In March 1941 he was again assigned to the Marines, this time with the First Division Fleet Marine Force, Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and continued duty there during the early period on World War II, until detached on May 10, 1943.

He is entitled to the Ribbon for, and a facsimile of, the President Unit Citation to the First Marine Division, Reinforced, in action from August 7 to December 9, 1942, and was personally awarded a Letter of Commendation with Ribbon and Combat “V,” for outstanding service as a Senior Dental Officer with the First Marine Division stationed with Headquarters Battalion at the Division Field Hospital. The citation states the he “during periods of combat activity and especially during periods of night shelling of the area by enemy surface craft, assisted in the care of the wounded and by his personal conduct and efforts on these occasions, greatly contributed to the satisfactory completion of the task at hand…”

From July 1943 until July 1946 he had duty with Fleet Marine Force, San Diego Area, first a Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California, alter at San Diego, and again at Camp Pendleton. He was relived of all active duty under orders of February 5, 1946, pending his retirement, effective August 1, that year.

In addition to the Commendation Ribbon with Combat “V,” and the Ribbon for the Presidential Unit Citation to First Marine Division, Reinforced, Rear Admiral Foulk has the American Defense Service Medal, Base Clasp; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; American Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal.

END

Published: Fri Jun 04 08:52:32 EDT 2021