Poet Edward Field dies at 102, remembered in Lynbrook

The New York Times calls Edward Field “one of America’s most accomplished poets.” Indeed, he was; his 12 collections of poetry together won numerous literary honors including a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Lamont Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets. He also wrote the script for an Academy Award-winning documentary short in 1966. 

Field died Sunday, Sept. 6, at age 102, leaving behind a celebrated literary career and a lasting connection to the Lynbrook community where he grew up. 

Mr. Field was born in Brooklyn and moved with his family to Starks Place in Lynbrook at age 5. He attended Lynbrook schools and in 1941 graduated from Lynbrook High. Later that year he quit NYU and joined the U.S. Army as a lieutenant and navigator of B-17s. In February 1945, on the last of his 27 bombing missions, he nearly died when his plane was hit by enemy fire and crash-landed into the North Sea. 

His memories of growing up in Lynbrook stretched back to the 1930s. He remembered a horse-drawn wagon delivering ice to cool the family’s refrigerator and attending Marion Street Elementary School before moving on to Lynbrook High School. He also recalled experiencing antisemitism while growing up and seeing the Nazi Bund march through Lynbrook carrying flags. 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Field joined the Army as an aviation cadet. He eventually became a lieutenant and navigator aboard B-17 bombers, flying missions over Europe from a base in England. 

On his final mission, Field’s bomber was hit during a raid on Berlin and forced to ditch in the icy North Sea. Not all of the crew survived. Field was rescued from a life raft in near-frozen condition. 

After his discharge from the Army, Field went on to establish a literary career that would span decades. His poetry drew heavily from his own experiences, including his childhood and military service. 

His breakthrough book of poetry, “Stand Up, Friend, With Me,” includes a poem that centers on Lynbrook, though not naming it. In 2025, the Lynbrook Board of Trustees acted on a recommendation from Lynbrook Historian, Art Mattson, and named Edward Field the village’s first Poet Laureate. 

I had the privilege of knowing Field personally and spending time with him in Manhattan, where he shared memories of his childhood in Lynbrook, his wartime experiences and his life as a poet.