When state Senator Lydia Edwards is sworn in on Oct. 30 as a Judge Advocate General in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, she already knows who will get her first salute: Her mother, Bridgett Edwards, 73, who served for 23 years in the US Air Force and retired as a master sergeant in 1995.
It’s part of a family legacy of military service that one strong woman is passing on to another — although it took time, determination, and a career in law and politics before Lydia Edwards embraced it. When she won election to the state Senate in 2022, Edwards was the first woman and person of color to represent a district that includes Revere, Winthrop, and parts of Boston, from East Boston and the North End to Beacon Hill and Back Bay. Before that, she served on the Boston City Council, and before that, she worked for Greater Boston Legal Services and for a Boston law firm.
And before that, she was raised on military bases around the world by a single mother, who had twin daughters — Lydia and her sister, Erika.
Bridgett Edwards grew up in Cincinnati, one of 10 children, including four brothers who also served in the military. In December 1971, when the United States was still fighting in Vietnam, she enlisted in what was then called the Women’s Air Force. In an interview, she said she viewed military service as a way to see the world and experience life beyond the limits of what was available at the time to young Black men and women in America.
The military “was one of the better opportunities for young Black people,” she said. “There was fairness. You could meet expectations and succeed.” Women were eventually accepted into the Air Force on an equal basis with men, and with that, she said, came even “more opportunity I never would have had” in civilian live. She retired in the position of Base Education and Training Manager.
Her daughters, meanwhile, were brought up with the pride, resilience, and commitment to service that goes along with military life and the tight-knit community that supports it. “When you are born and raised on military bases, you are surrounded by service,” Lydia Edwards said. “Everyone has a role in service to country. My mother was divorced and had full custody of my sister and I. Often times, the wives of the military men serving with my mother babysat, fed, and cared for my sister and I. When I think about it now, that probably had the biggest impression on me and why I joined.”
Edwards is a graduate of Marymount College of Fordham and has a J.D. degree from American University and a LLM in taxation from Boston University. While in law school, she said, she interviewed for a JAG appointment and also with a law firm. The law firm — Holland & Knight LLP — “gave me an offer. JAG gave me a second interview.” With that, she embarked on a career that eventually led to her current job. But she never gave up on the idea of military service and was encouraged by fellow lawmakers with a military background, including state Senator John Velis of Westfield, who is a major in the US Army Reserve, and state Representative Jerald Parisella of Beverly, who is a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Her quest was also supported by former governor Charlie Baker, among other prominent Massachusetts politicians.
She had two obstacles to overcome. She’s 42, and as she puts it, “for the military, I’m old as hell.” After the death of her partner, Greg Bertolino, in 2020, Edwards also underwent therapy and took anti-anxiety medication. “Both were the right decision and the best decision for me,” Edwards said. But she found out that when it comes to medical treatment for mental health issues, military regulations vary, and she had to seek waivers, which were ultimately granted.
That kind of candor is typical of Edwards, who is fearless when it comes to frank talk. She took heat from progressive activists when she backed Kevin Hayden over City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo in the 2022 Democratic primary race for Suffolk County district attorney. When Rachael Rollins resigned as US attorney last May after disclosures of ethical lapses, Edwards defended the progressive policies that Rollins championed but acknowledged that Rollins “royally and unnecessarily messed up.”
In the role of JAG, she said she looks forward to being a strong advocate for soldiers. “I believe in justice,” she said. “Everyone should have access to it.” It reminds her, she said, of what she did as a legal services lawyer. Her mother, meanwhile, sees her daughter’s new role as an extension of a family commitment to service. “I am thrilled and honored and I am so proud of her,” Bridgett Edwards said. “Service is in her DNA. ”
When it comes to service, the mother led the way. Now, the daughter will salute her.
Joan Vennochi is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at joan.vennochi@globe.com. Follow her @joan_vennochi.