Edward C. Dyer

Edward Colston Dyer
Born	(1907-01-18)January 18, 1907 Baltimore, Maryland, US
Died	January 5, 1975(1975-01-05) (aged 67) New Canaan, Connecticut, US
Place of Burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1929-1959
Rank	Brigadier general
Commands	Marine Aircraft Group 61 HMX-1 Marine Aircraft Group 12 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States) Marine Corps Air Bases, Eastern Area
Battles / wars	World War II Philippines campaign (1944–1945) Korean War
Awards	Legion of Merit w/ V

Edward Colston Dyer (January 18, 1907 – January 5, 1975) was a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps who served in both World War II and the Korean War. A naval aviator and communications engineer, during his career he was a pioneer in the Marine Corps' development of early warning radar, night fighters, and helicopters.

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Dyer became a naval aviator and flew with various Marine Corps squadrons throughout the 1930s. After receiving a master's degree in Radio Engineering, he became the Marine Corps' leading advocate in the development of early warning radar while stationed at Headquarters Marine Corps during the first few years of World War II. For the last year of the war, he was in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and took part in the Philippines campaign (1944–1945).

After the war, he was at the vanguard of the Marine Corps' use of helicopters. He was responsible for organizing the Marine Corps' first helicopter squadron and also became its first commanding officer. He later served as the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States) in Hawaii. Brigadier General Dyer retired in 1959 after thirty years of active service. He died in 1975 after a long illness. From 1995 until 2016, the Marine Corps Aviation Association award given annually to the top Marine Corps Medium Helicopter Squadron was named in his honor.^[1]