In my 17 years of coaching I have had only two backs that could compare with those were Red Grange of Illinois and Glen Presnell of Nebraska.

[4] Topeka High School inducted the general into its hall of fame in 1988–89 labeling him "a colorful figure on the gridiron and in the air".

Going to England as a military observer with the Fighter Command of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, Edwinson returned to the United States in March 1942, to become group operations officer at Dale Mabry Field, Florida.

In December of that year he enrolled as a student at the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and graduated the following February.

[7] Edwinson was in command during a controversial incident in November 1944 when American pilots shot down four Soviet Yaks.

The incident is described in Combat Aircraft of World War II by Glenn B. Bavousett: The first engagement occurred in early November 1944, over Yugoslavia.

The Husky P-38's performance was so good that the Russians asked for a repeat support mission to be flown by the same group the following day.

Kotov, commander of XI Guards Rifle Corps], was killed, a victim of lack of communications and a close similarity between German and Russian Uniforms and vehicle color schemes.

During a brief air battle that ensued Edwinson's P-38 pilots knocked down four of the Yaks and sent the remainder scurrying away into the haze.

One of the four Yaks that really got it was the unlucky fellow whose course took him directly over the guns of a P-38 piloted by Bill Blurock who was in a stall condition and but a few yards under the Russian.

This incident over Yugoslavia gave the United States a 4-to-2 edge in the only known aerial combat between the two powers (the 1950 engagement involved North Korean Pilots).

When advised that the situation was one of those unfortunate happening that bad communications sometimes foster... "Curly" Edwinson was quietly and hastily re-assigned to a base out of Europe.Lee K. Carr in "Air Classics" (Volume 38, Number 8) has a different take on the incident blaming Edwinson for poor planning and communication though this seems to be a minority opinion.

Indeed, the fact that Edwinson eventually became a brigadier general and was appointed to command on three subsequent occasions seems to underscore how much Carr's opinion seems to be in the minority.

[9] Edwinson's decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.