NORFOLK, Va. — When Mona Gunn learned the Navy had declared Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards deceased, her first thought wasn't about the helicopter or the days-long search in the Arabian Sea.
It was about his family.
"I really wish I knew his mom to be a comfort to her," Gunn told News 3. "They're going to need that time just to absorb what has happened... and with Commander Edwards, I'm sure they have a lot of questions."
Gunn knows that kind of heartbreak firsthand.
More than 25 years ago, she became a Gold Star mother after her son, Seaman Apprentice Cherone Louis Gunn, was among the 17 sailors killed in the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. Today, she hopes the family of Edwards — the Norfolk-based Navy commander lost after an emergency helicopter water landing — knows they won't have to walk the difficult road ahead alone.
The U.S. Navy identified Edwards on Tuesday as the commanding officer of Norfolk-based Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5.
Edwards was aboard an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter that made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1. Three of the four crew members were rescued, but Edwards remained missing.
The Navy searched for more than 102 hours, covering more than 14,000 square miles with ships and aircraft from multiple carrier strike groups before suspending the search on July 5. On Tuesday, the service announced Edwards had been declared deceased.
Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, called Edwards a "fearless leader" whose legacy as a husband, father, friend and commanding officer "will never be forgotten."
A native of Oakland, Oregon, Edwards graduated from Norfolk State University in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in physics before earning his commission through the university's Naval ROTC program. During his 20-year naval career, he served with multiple helicopter squadrons and Naval Special Warfare before assuming command of HSC-5 in July 2025.
For Gunn, news of Edwards' death immediately brought back memories of October 2000.
She remembers being handed a pamphlet about the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization founded in 1928 to support mothers who have lost children in military service.
At the time, she wasn't interested.
"It meant absolutely nothing to me because I wanted my child back," Gunn said. "I got the little pamphlet, but didn't pay much attention to it. Didn't read about it. I had no idea. I was just trying to get through each hour... each day."
It would take years before Gunn was ready to lean on others who understood the unique grief of losing a child in military service.
In 2019, she became the first African American to serve as national president of the American Gold Star Mothers. Today, she continues to support military families navigating a loss she understands all too well.
"I think that's one of the biggest things for military families," Gunn said. "Don't isolate yourself. Reach out. There are people that understand exactly what you're going through because they've walked that same road."
Gunn said every family grieves differently, and many are not ready to accept help immediately after losing a loved one.
"The military becomes your family," she said. "Those families continue to wrap their arms around you long after everyone else has gone home."
She hopes families know support will still be there when they're ready.
"You can call me or you can email me, and I'll be there for you," Gunn said.
In a statement released by the Navy, Edwards' wife, Rebecca, thanked the sailors, aviators and airmen who devoted days to searching for her husband.
"We are profoundly grateful to every Sailor, aviator, and Airman who devoted countless hours, extraordinary skill, and unwavering determination in the effort to bring Gabe home," she said.
Rebecca Edwards described her husband as a man who "dedicated his life to serving his country with honor, courage, and commitment," adding that he led with "humility, integrity, and compassion," while always putting his people before himself.
"To our family, he is the love of my life, an extraordinary father to his children, and the foundation of our home," she said. "His greatest joy was always his family."
As her family begins what she called "the difficult road ahead," she asked for privacy while they grieve together.
For Gunn, those words carry special meaning.
She knows the search for Cmdr. Edwards may be over, but another journey is just beginning for the family he leaves behind. She hopes they know that when they're ready, a community of Gold Star families will be there to help them carry that loss.
The Navy said the cause of the helicopter's emergency water landing remains under investigation. Officials have said there is no indication the incident was caused by hostile action.
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