Marvin Edwards has spent a good part of his life protecting the interests of Jacksonville taxpayers, holding government officials accountable for their spending on projects such as the Downtown Skyway and the Jacksonville Jaguars' football stadium.
But years before becoming well known as a local gadfly, Edwards was protecting the interests of the United States and the rest of the free world as a military officer in World War II working for the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency.
While his wartime exploits may not be well known, they have definitely not been forgotten, particularly by the people who needed his help the most.
Later this month, Edwards will be presented with the French Legion of Honor, France's highest honor. The Legion was created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to commend French troops.
Edwards' award is a commemoration of his assistance in the fight for freedom during World War II.
Edwards was notified of the honor in a letter last week.
"It came as a shock," he said.
He was notified last year that he was being considered for the Legion of Honor and sent forms to fill out.
"I filled it all out 10 months ago. I hadn't heard anything, so I figured it was probably done," he said. "I completely forgot about it."
But he hasn't forgotten about his war service. Edwards, who is known for keeping thorough records of activities in Jacksonville, also has a treasure trove of wartime records.
Long after the war, he was able to provide the CIA with records of OSS clandestine operations that even the CIA didn't have.
Those records are now kept at the Hoover Institution Library at Stanford University.
Edwards was a lieutenant in the 492nd Bomb Group of the U.S. Army Air Forces, the forerunner to the U.S. Air Force.
"We were the air arm of the OSS," Edwards said.
Edwards didn't serve on French soil during World War II but actually served above it, flying in planes that dropped supplies to the French underground.
He also flew in the British Mosquito, one of the fastest airplanes of its time, which could fly high over Germany to make contact with Allied agents in enemy territory. Edwards said the Mosquito flew at night and was equipped with advanced technology that would allow the plane to communicate with agents below undetected by the Germans.
"I was the navigator assigned to get to the rendezvous point, and then the plane would circle about it," he said.
Edwards continued to work with the OSS through 1946 and eventually did make it to the ground in France.
"After the war, I continued to be friendly with some of the French agents," he said.
Edwards returned to Jacksonville in 1947 and settled into a career in finance, running investment firm Edwards & Edwards.
Edwards, now 91 years old, never stopped fighting for public interests after leaving the service. He's written numerous articles and editorials for local publications questioning the workings of local government. It might seem courageous to take on public officials but after his service during the war, he was unafraid.
"My writing in Jacksonville pales in comparison to what I went through," he said.
Edwards will receive his Knight of the Legion of Honor award along with five other Americans in a ceremony at the Florida Historical Capitol Museum in Tallahassee on April 25.
Francois Delattre, the French Ambassador to the U.S., will present the honor.
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