Eddy George Joiner

Eddy George Joiner was born in Ranger, Texas, and carried with him the spirit of small-town grit, humbleness, and quiet strength that shaped his life and the way he loved others. From a young age, he was drawn to the sky, a fascination that would become both his calling and his legacy.

Eddy proudly served his country as a United States Army Captain and helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. Commissioned in 1966, he served as an Armor and Aviation Officer, earning his Army Aviator Wings and completing a full combat tour in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. He served with distinction in two of the U.S. Army’s most storied and elite aviation units, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and the 101st Airborne Division, flying critical missions in support of U.S. ground troops under some of the most dangerous conditions of the war.

As a rotary-wing aviator, Eddy answered every call with courage, discipline, and unwavering resolve. His bravery in the skies earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Expert Marksmanship Badge, and the coveted Army Aviator Badge. He received an honorable discharge and continued serving in the Army Reserve through 1973. His service remained one of the greatest honors of his life, and his country remains forever grateful.

After the Army, Eddy’s greatest mission became his family. He married the love of his life, Susie Joiner, and together they built a life rooted in love, partnership, and adventure. He was a proud father to Amanda Joiner and to Brad Joiner, whom he now embraces again in Heaven, and a father-in-law to Julie Joiner. In his later years, the role he cherished most was being “Papa” to Brodie and Owen Joiner. He also holds close the memory of his other grandchildren, Korie and Kacie, who welcomed him into eternal rest with open arms.

Eddy is also survived by his beloved sisters, Jane Taylor and Laura Tallman, and extended family who will forever treasure his presence, his stories, and his steadfast spirit.

Though quiet by nature, Eddy’s life spoke loudly, through his loyalty, his sense of duty, his love for his family, and the values he lived by: honor, integrity, and valor. To know him was to know steadiness, humility, and a man who protected what mattered most. His legacy lives on not only in the medals he earned and the lives he protected, but in the family he cherished and the love he gave without hesitation.

Fair winds and clear skies, Captain. Mission complete. The family respectfully requests that memorial contributions be made to support causes close to Eddy’s heart:

Wounded Warrior Project

Honoring and supporting our nation’s veterans and their families

www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Parkinson’s Foundation

Dedicated to improving the lives of those living with Parkinson’s disease.

www.parkinson.org