Edward Joseph
Staff Sergent Edward Joseph (February 20, 1987-September 23, 2039) was a Rhodesian soldier in the Rhodesian Army who served in the 4th Rhodesian Angolan Rifles during 5 conflicts. He was one of the men awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Hell Canyon.
Edward Joseph | |
|---|---|
| File:Sergent Edward Joesph.jpeg Edward during Hell Canyon | |
| Nickname(s) | The Brick of the Canyon |
| Born | February 20, 1987 Salisbury, Rhodesia |
| Died | September 12, 2039 Salisbury Rhodesia |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Rhodesia |
| Service/ | File:Flag of Rhodesian Army.png Rhodesian Army |
| Years of service | 2005-2038 |
| Rank | File:Rhon-OR-07.pngStaff Sergent Warrant Officer Class 1 |
| Unit | 4th Rhodesian Angolan Rifles |
| Battles/wars | Zimbabwe Border Crisis Serbian-Croatian War |
| Awards | File:Medal of Honor ribbon.pngMedal of Honor File:Cross of Valor.pngGrand Cross of Valor  NCO Training Ribbon |
Biography
Edward Stuart Joseph was born on February 20, 1987 in Salisbury, Rhodesia. He grew up in a poor neighborhood and had a lack of education but was still really smart. In 2005 he enlisted to the 4th Rhodesian Angolan Rifles, 2nd Company of the Rhodesian Army in Salisbury on May 1, 2005. He served in the Zimbabwe Border Crisis, Bosnia War, Rhodesian-Zimbabwe War, Congo Crisis and the Serbian-Croatian War. During the Rhodesian-Zimbabwe War he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry in combat during the Battle of Hell Canyon. Later after his service he worked on a lumber mill for around six months before he was killed by rioters.
Service
Edward served for 33 years in the 4th Rhodesian Angolan Rifles and was promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1, the highest Non-Commissioned officer rank.
Zimbabwe Border Crisis
Edward served with the fourth for five years and participating in every major engagement during the war. He was awarded the War on Terrorism Medal for his service.
Bosnia War
He served in the Bosnia War for three years where he participated Operation Ghost Zone. During the conflict he was awarded two Bronze Stars, one with a arrowhead device for Operation Ghost Zone and another with a "V" device for his actions during the Battle of Mesdava.
Rhodesian-Zimbabwe War
During the Rhodesian-Zimbabwe War he fought in three different campaigns. For his heroic actions of stopping a group of enemies from flanking the line in a ravine during the Battle of Hell Canyon he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Congo Crisis
During the Congo Crisis he stopped several attacks by Namibian and Ghanaian forces on the civilian population.
Serbian-Croatian War
Edward was only involved in the last battle of the Serbian-Croatian War but was a major help to the Croatian forces by charging the Serbian line and killing and wounding 16 Serbian soldiers. For his actions the Rhodesian government awarded him the Grand Cross of Valor.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Staff Sergent, 4th Rhodesian Angolan Rifles. Place and date: At Hell Canyon, Fremont, October 6, 2019. Entered service at: Salisbury, S.P. Birth, Salisbury, S.P. Date of Issue, May 15, 2020.
Citation:
While the enemies were concealed in a ravine, assisted men on the skirmish line, directing their fire, etc., and using every effort to dislodge the enemy.
Later life
After his 33 years of service, Edward decided to work at a lumber mill so he could later retire. In 2039 he was killed by anti-military rioters after being hit in the head twice with a metal bike lock. He was buried at the Rhodesian Angolan Rifles Memorial.