Edwin J. Crites was born on 26 May 1924 and graduated from North High School in Akron, Ohio, in June 1941. He lived at 1014 Dayton Street in Akron, Ohio.

He served in the United States Army, First Lieutenant, Company D,  275th Infantry Regiment, 70th "Trailblazers" Infantry Division.

Lieutenant Crites was killed-in-action on 23 February 1945 in France. His remains were returned from the European Theater in March 1949 on board the transport ship Haiti Victory along with the remains of two other North Hill veterans: Donald G. Heilman and Charles Ray Hunton.

Lieutenant Crites was buried at Arlington National Cemetery Washington D.C.  He was just twenty years old at the time of his death.