Edwin Wheeler, Marine Leader in Vietnam, Dies

Edwin Bliss Wheeler, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam in the late 1960s, has died of a heart attack. He was 67.

The retired major general died Monday at his home here.

He was in the Marines for more than 30 years. In Vietnam he commanded the 1st Marine Division in 1969 and 1970 and the 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Division, in 1964 and 1965.

Wheeler, who suffered back injuries when his helicopter was shot down in Vietnam, was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation and five citations of Legion of Merit during a career that began in 1941. He became a major general in 1968, and his last assignment before retiring in 1972 was assistant chief of staff for the Marine Corps.

He served on the U.S. Battle Monuments Commission for a time after his retirement.