Chief Edmundson in 1980, along with Captain John Nicholson and Captain Pete Fain.

Chief De Bois Edmundson, Retired

I had the pleasure of interviewing  Chief De Bois Edmundson, retired, at his home near Chesnee, South Carolina. 

De Bois Edmundson was born in 1921 at the ranger station in North Mills River.  His father was Spurgen Edmundson, and was a Forest Ranger and later a part time dispatcher for the Hendersonville Police Department.

De Bois went to the Mills River School until his family moved to Transylvania County when his father was transferred to the Pisgah Ranger Station near Brevard. 

De Bois then attended and graduated from Brevard High School.

De Bois, second from right, with his siblings in North Mills River.

De Bois Edmundson before being sent to England.

At the start of World War II, De Bois was drafted from Transylvania County by the U.S. Army.  He was trained at Camp Croft in Spartanburg, S.C., and also at a base in Miami Beach, Florida. 

Upon completion of training, he was assigned to the Air Force Base at Myrtle Beach where he served as a Military Police officer. (MP)

De Bois was then transferred to a base in Bury Saint Edmunds, England,  where he again served as a M.P. guarding an air force base. 

Around the time of the Battle of the Bulge in 1945, De Bois was placed in a combat unit that saw action on the front lines in Germany.

De Bois Edmundson, top row center, with his M.P. unit.

De Bois's unit discovered and liberated the Nazi concentration camp "Buchenwald".  There they found hundreds of bodies of dead and many more hundreds of Jews starving.

After the liberation of Buchenwald, De Bois and his unit were given a furlough to return home for a short time.

They were to be then sent to the South Pacific to help with the war with Japan.  De Bois and his unit were half way across the Atlantic on a French troop transport ship when Japan surrendered, officially ending WWII.

Edmundson's unit liberated the Nazi Death Camp Buchenwald.

De Bois and Eveylyn.

Upon his return to the U.S. De Bois visited Washington, D.C., and reunited with his girlfriend Eveyln.  The two were married. 

De Bois served for a brief time at another base before he and Evelyn, who was originally from Hendersonville, returned to Brevard after his discharge.

De Bois and Evelyn later had a daughter, Sharon.

De Bois took a job at Ecusta paper mill.

De Bois at the Capital, 1945.

Ecusta's low wages at that time along with his desire to continue his career in law enforcement persuaded De Bois to return to Myrtle Beach.  The Chief there had promised De Bois a job when the war was over.

De Bois now took the Chief up on his offer, becoming a patrol officer at Myrtle Beach P.D

De Bois at his home in Myrtle Beach.

De Bois at the Myrtle Beach PD, 1946.

After about a year and a half De Bois and Evelyn desired to return to Hendersonville. 

De Bois contacted Chief Orr at the Hendersonville Police Department to ask about employment.  Chief Orr offered a job on patrol for De Bois, and he gladly accepted.

De Bois worked mostly on the night shift during his first several years.  He stated that the shifts consisted of twelve hours and that he rarely got a day off. 

He lived in a house near Barnwell and Main Streets so he wasn't far away from the department at any given time.  This made it easy for him to be called in off duty when a problem arose.

When Bill Powers was promoted to Chief,    De Bois was promoted to Captain.  He served as a Captain until 1978.  Most of his tenure as Captain in the later years was spent overseeing investigations. 

A group photo of the members of the Hendersonville Police Department circa 1957. 

Patrolman De Bois Edmundson is pictured on the far left, second officer up from bottom

Officer Edmundson helps direct traffic during a major snow storm clean up circa 1954.

De Bois also served as a volunteer fireman for the Hendersonville Fire Department for over twenty years.

There are many incidents that occurred during his service that De Bois told me about.  From murders and suicides to great fires and disasters, such as the crash of the airliner at I-26.

One such incident was that of a murder on the steps of City Hall.  Apparently a man and his wife had been arguing and the she was trying to come into the police station for help when her husband shot and killed her on the steps of the Police Department.  (under the main steps of City Hall on 5th. Avenue.)

Captain Edmundson was involved in the chase of the suspect which ended near 8th. Avenue and Main Street.  The suspect exited his car and either accidentally or on purpose shot himself dead.

In 1978, Chief Powers retired.  De Bois Edmundson was promoted to Chief while a search for a new chief was conducted.  In 1979, Chief Larry Hesser was hired.  De Bois remained Assistant Chief and Captain over investigations.

On February 28, 1985, Captain De Bois Edmundson retired after 38 years of service to the Hendersonville Police Department and the citizens of Hendersonville and Henderson County.

Edmundson at his retirement party.

Since his retirement, De Bois has bought a farm with over 20 acres and a lake.  Since my interview with De Bois, his wife Evelyn passed away.  We received many well wishes for De Bois during this time. 

Edmundson's home in Chesnee, SC

Edmundson's Alaskan fishing trip.

Edmundson on the day of our interview.

Everyone at the Hendersonville Police Department would like to take this opportunity to thank Chief De Bois Edmundson on his many years of service to Country and City, and wish him the best.