Instagram story viewer> @katedwards8> Posts

Kathryn Edwards

@katedwards8

34.3K

followers

2955

following

The bad news is time flies, the good news is you’re the pilot”. Co Founder of @bestdefensefoundation

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

Courtroom 600. #nuremberg

Between November 1945 and October 1946, the leaders of the Nazi regime were made to answer for their crimes in this room.

Today, two men who fought to bring that day about sat in it.

#wwii veteran Hilbert Margol, 102. Jack Myers, 103.

They came back to see where justice was done.

#BattlefieldReturn #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus taken in Courtroom 600 Palace Of Justice Nuremberg by @katedwards8

339

1

4 days ago

Happy birthday to my dearest sweet Ali! You and I have lived some good life over the last 15 years, here’s to another decade! Live it to the fullest! Love you! by @katedwards8

3

7

2 months ago

8 years ago we started this journey of #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus

Since then we have taken 100’s of veterans back to their #battlefield, helped 100’s of veterans through our @bdfstronghold program, and connected 100’s of @bdf_nextgen students with the greatest generation. taken in San Diego, California by @katedwards8

399

45

3 months ago

102 year old WWII veteran, Wally King, having a beer with @bestdefensefoundation co-founder @katedwards8 in #saintemereeglise

Wally is all about those kisses from @katedwards8

Wally with his amazing caregiver and granddaughter

The Stop Bar is an iconic spot in #SainteMereEglise to grab a beer and is always packed, and always a good time.

Wally did not want to leave

Wally flew 75 combat missions as a fighter pilot in P-51s & P-47s. Wally provided close air support for allied forces in the Battle Of The Bulge.

@jackcarrusa wasn’t about to miss this opportunity to talk to Wally.

Wally has so many incredible stories.

Everyone wants a little time with the King

Still got it at 102!

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing Wally King in person, you’ve been hit with this one.

Seeing all the kids, who are so excited and appreciative, is always one of the veterans favorite moments.

Thank you, Wally King, for your service! #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Sainte-Mère-Église by @katedwards8

305

6

3 months ago

Happy anniversary my love. It’s only ever been you. ❤️ by @katedwards8

3

94

4 months ago

Normandy 82nd commemoration. It’s so hard to describe the feeling and sometimes I just don’t share enough because photos don’t do it justice. Anyone who has a chance to get to Normandy for that glorious week of celebrations should take that opportunity. 🇺🇸🇫🇷 #TakingCareofOnesWhoTookCareofUs. @bestdefensefoundation @delta @michelin @vetclaims.ai by @katedwards8

3

20

4 months ago

WWII veteran Joe Schott and adorable 7 yr old British school girl Sophie reunited to say hello. Joe would give Sophie his military chocolate and a lifelong friendship started. Yesterday they got to see each other in person again, 83 years later. So sweet. 🇺🇸🇫🇷 @bestdefensefoundation @delta #dday taken in Normandy, France by @katedwards8

3

36

4 months ago

Sharing alert…to all of the travelers out there. I feel like I almost live on a plane now. @flykitt_travel has been a game changer for me! I have a strong circadian rhythm and I need my sleep to function and hit the ground running. FlyKitt is such a marked difference for me that I’d feel selfish not to share this with everyone. I’m hooked! Thank you FlyKitt for coming up with such a lifesaver! You guys are thee BEST! by @katedwards8

3

4

5 months ago

“We’re still processing it.” // Return To Vietnam — A Reflection - Part 2

The second half of our program took us north — deeper into the history, deeper into the memories these men have carried for fifty years.

We stood at Khe Sanh — walking the grounds, standing beside a Huey, moving through enemy bunkers that are still there, still standing, still telling the story of a war that refuses to be forgotten. These weren’t museum exhibits. This was the ground where it happened.

At the Rock Pile, the veterans shared what they knew — the stories, the history, what this place meant to the men who fought in its shadow. Standing there together, the past felt anything but distant.

At Lang Vay, veteran Gene Pugh knelt down and took dirt from the earth. A piece of it to bring home. A way of saying: I was here. I came back. I remember.

We visited the Citadel Palace in Hue — a city that saw some of the fiercest fighting of the entire war.

And on our last night in country, we celebrated the way it deserved — drifting through the waterways of Hue by boat, winding through its streets by rickshaw, letting the city send us off right.

Some things you carry forever. Some things you finally get to put down.

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Hue, Vietnam by @katedwards8

158

11

5 months ago

Get your air guitar out! 🎸 Return to Vietnam 🇻🇳 — Day 4. Sometimes all it takes is a little Credence Clearwater Revival to transport these guys back to their youth. After a short flight from Saigon to Danang, we visited Hội An and saw the sights and the lights. We hopped on a boat, cranked the CCR, and the boys started dancing and playing air guitar, just like when they were young. After that we were treated to an incredible private dinner. #takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Hội An by @katedwards8

258

6

5 months ago

Happy birthday to my Mr. Everything. I celebrate you the entire month of April and will until the end of time. Cheers to another year baby! You make living look easy. ❤️ by @katedwards8

3

55

6 months ago

Rest in peace, Howard Buford. Thank you for your service. March 26, 2026 we lost our long-time friend & hero, WWII veteran, Howard Buford. He came with us to Holland in 2019 and our whole team became very close with him. We will miss him dearly.

Howard Buford (born August 17, 1921, in Los Angeles, California) is a World War II veteran who served in the 101st Airborne Division and was part of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, Company E. He is a centenarian who has been honored by the Best Defense Foundation for his service, which included fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.

Before joining the Army, Buford worked at a Lockheed Aircraft facility in Burbank, California, building fighter plane fuselages. He enlisted in 1943, aiming for the airborne division, but originally trained as an army engineer due to color-blindness. He later became a paratrooper with the “Screaming Eagles” (101st Airborne) after casualties in Normandy created a need for replacements.

Buford served in the 101st Airborne from 1943-1946, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. He experienced intense combat, particularly near Bizory, Belgium, where he operated a machine gun and faced heavy German patrols, including the destruction of a German halftrack by his unit. He recalled this time as “mass confusion” and “terrifying,” but noted that his unit was confident in victory.

#takingcareoftheoneswhotookcareofus @delta taken in Bizory, Luxembourg, Belgium by @katedwards8

12k

572

6 months ago