Romus Burgin: Difference between revisions
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==Early life and family== |
==Early life and family== |
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Burgin was born to Joseph Harmon Burgin and Beulah May ([[Married and maiden names|née]] Perry) Burgin in [[Jewett, Texas]].<ref name=TodayBooks /><ref>{{cite news |title=Veteran wants war tales of the Pacific to be remembered |newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=June 26, 2005 }}</ref> Burgin's younger brother, Joseph ("Joe" or "J.D.") Delton (March 24, 1926 |
Burgin was born to Joseph Harmon Burgin and Beulah May ([[Married and maiden names|née]] Perry) Burgin in [[Jewett, Texas]].<ref name=TodayBooks /><ref>{{cite news |title=Veteran wants war tales of the Pacific to be remembered |newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=June 26, 2005 }}</ref> Burgin's younger brother, Joseph ("Joe" or "J.D.") Delton (March 24, 1926 – February 17, 1945) joined the United States Army, after changing his year of birth from 1926 to 1925, and was sent to Europe,<ref name=BurginRV/><ref>[https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=225&cat=all&tf=F&q=Burgin&bc=&sort=24996%20desc&rpp=10&pg=19&rid=7364549&rlst=8581905,8527687,4515030,8578190,1548852,7088219,7268932,7364549,7470216,7231734 Burgin, Joe D; ASN: 38482046 ]. – Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 – 1946 (Enlistment Records). – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.</ref> as a member of Company "C", 274th Infantry Regiment, [[70th Infantry Division (United States)|70th Infantry Division ("Trailblazers")]].<ref>{{citation |title=274th Infantry Regiment Unit Rosters: COMPANY C |url=http://www.trailblazersww2.org/rosters/C_274.pdf |format=Adobe Acrobat *.PDF |publisher=70th Infantry Division Association }}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=274th Infantry Regiment |url=http://www.trailblazersww2.org/units_274.htm |publisher=70th Infantry Division Association }}</ref> Joseph died in Alsace-Lorraine on February 17, 1945 when he was killed by artillery fire near the river [[Saar (river)|Saar]] and the town of [[Forbach]], as they moved east toward [[Saarbrücken]] on the other side of the river, as part of a push against the [[Siegfried Line]].<ref name=BurginRV/><ref>{{citation |title=Casualty Listing: A-C |url=http://www.trailblazersww2.org/casualties_A_C.htm |publisher=70th Infantry Division Association }}</ref><ref>{{citation |chapter=Approach to the Siegfried Line |url=http://www.trailblazersww2.org/history_siegriedline.htm |publisher=Battery Press (c/o 70th Infantry Division Association) |title=US Seventh Army Report of Operations |year=1988 |pages=678–686 }}</ref> He is buried at the Sardis Cemetery next to his parents.<ref>{{citation |title=Sardis Cemetery A-F – Leon County, Texas |url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/leon/cemeteries/sardisa-f.txt |publisher=USGenWeb Archives }}</ref> |
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==Military career== |
==Military career== |
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Burgin joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] on November 13, 1942, during [[World War II]] and was assigned to the 9th Replacement Battalion. He soon became a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortarman]] in K-Company (King Company from 1913 to 1957 |
Burgin joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] on November 13, 1942, during [[World War II]] and was assigned to the 9th Replacement Battalion. He soon became a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortarman]] in K-Company (King Company from 1913 to 1957 – Kilo Company after 1957 with the new Military Phonetic Alphabet), 3rd Battalion, [[5th Marine Regiment (United States)|5th Marines]], [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]] (K-3-5),<ref name=TodayBooks /> and fought in the [[Pacific War]] at [[Cape Gloucester (Papua New Guinea)|Cape Gloucester]],<ref name=TodayBooks /> then alongside his friend, [[Eugene Sledge]],<ref name=TodayBooks /> on [[Peleliu]],<ref name=TodayBooks /> and [[Okinawa]].<ref name=NPR-2010-03>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124580077 |title=Veteran R.V. Burgin Fought In 'The Pacific' |date=March 11, 2010 }}</ref><ref name=HC-2010-04-03>{{cite news |title=Texan's Pacific war memoir used for HBO mini-series |newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> Burgin was promoted to the rank of sergeant upon reaching Okinawa.<ref name=BurginRV>{{citation |author1=Burgin, R. V. |author2=with William "Bill" Marvel |year=2010 |title=Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-451-22990-8 }}</ref><ref name=DunnS-2010-03-07>{{citation |author=Dunn, Si |title=Book review: 'Islands of the Damned' by RV Burgin |newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=March 7, 2010 }}</ref> |
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Burgin was the author of the memoir ''Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific'' (with William Marvel).<ref name=TodayBooks /><ref>{{cite book|author=Burgin, R.V. |title=Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific}}</ref> He was awarded a [[Bronze Star]] for his actions in the [[Battle of Okinawa]] on 2 May 1945, when he destroyed a Japanese machine gun emplacement that had his company pinned down.<ref name=NPR-2010-03 /> He also was going to be awarded a [[Silver Star]] by [[Andrew Haldane|Captain Andrew "Ack-Ack" Haldane]] for taking out a pillbox on Peleliu, but Haldane was killed by sniper fire before he could submit it.<ref name=TodayBooks /> |
Burgin was the author of the memoir ''Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific'' (with William Marvel).<ref name=TodayBooks /><ref>{{cite book|author=Burgin, R.V. |title=Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific}}</ref> He was awarded a [[Bronze Star]] for his actions in the [[Battle of Okinawa]] on 2 May 1945, when he destroyed a Japanese machine gun emplacement that had his company pinned down.<ref name=NPR-2010-03 /> He also was going to be awarded a [[Silver Star]] by [[Andrew Haldane|Captain Andrew "Ack-Ack" Haldane]] for taking out a pillbox on Peleliu, but Haldane was killed by sniper fire before he could submit it.<ref name=TodayBooks /> |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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After the war he went to work for the United States Post Office.<ref name=BurginRV/> While in [[Melbourne]], Burgin met an Australian woman, named Florence Risely. They married in Dallas on January 29, 1947.<ref name=BurginRV/><ref>{{cite book|title=Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 |
After the war he went to work for the United States Post Office.<ref name=BurginRV/> While in [[Melbourne]], Burgin met an Australian woman, named Florence Risely. They married in Dallas on January 29, 1947.<ref name=BurginRV/><ref>{{cite book|title=Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 – The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War |page=21 |author=Sloan, Bill |year=2005 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-8460-8 }}</ref> The couple had four daughters.<ref name=GranberryM-2010-03-14>{{cite news|author=Granberry, Michael |title='The Pacific,' book spotlight Lancaster veteran's battle story |newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=March 14, 2010 }}</ref><ref name=DunnS-2010-03-07/> Burgin is portrayed in the [[HBO]] miniseries [[The Pacific (TV miniseries)|''The Pacific'']] by [[Martin McCann (actor)|Martin McCann]].<ref name=NPR-2010-03 /><ref name=HC-2010-04-03 /> Burgin himself appears in documentary footage during the miniseries.<ref name=GranberryM-2010-03-14/> He died on April 6, 2019 at the age of 96 in [[Lancaster, Texas]].<ref>[https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/romus-burgin-obituary?pid=192128804 "Romus Valton Burgin Obituary"]</ref> |
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==Bibliography== |
==Bibliography== |
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Revision as of 13:44, 2 June 2019
Romus Valton Burgin | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 13, 1922 Jewett, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 6, 2019 (aged 96) Lancaster, Texas, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |  Sergeant |
| Unit | K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division |
| Battles / wars | World War II *Battle of Cape Gloucester *Battle of Peleliu *Battle of Okinawa |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart |
Romus Valton Burgin (August 13, 1922 – April 6, 2019)[1] was an American author and United States Marine.
Early life and family
Burgin was born to Joseph Harmon Burgin and Beulah May (née Perry) Burgin in Jewett, Texas.[1][2] Burgin's younger brother, Joseph ("Joe" or "J.D.") Delton (March 24, 1926 – February 17, 1945) joined the United States Army, after changing his year of birth from 1926 to 1925, and was sent to Europe,[3][4] as a member of Company "C", 274th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division ("Trailblazers").[5][6] Joseph died in Alsace-Lorraine on February 17, 1945 when he was killed by artillery fire near the river Saar and the town of Forbach, as they moved east toward Saarbrücken on the other side of the river, as part of a push against the Siegfried Line.[3][7][8] He is buried at the Sardis Cemetery next to his parents.[9]
Military career
Burgin joined the United States Marine Corps on November 13, 1942, during World War II and was assigned to the 9th Replacement Battalion. He soon became a mortarman in K-Company (King Company from 1913 to 1957 – Kilo Company after 1957 with the new Military Phonetic Alphabet), 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (K-3-5),[1] and fought in the Pacific War at Cape Gloucester,[1] then alongside his friend, Eugene Sledge,[1] on Peleliu,[1] and Okinawa.[10][11] Burgin was promoted to the rank of sergeant upon reaching Okinawa.[3][12]
Burgin was the author of the memoir Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific (with William Marvel).[1][13] He was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of Okinawa on 2 May 1945, when he destroyed a Japanese machine gun emplacement that had his company pinned down.[10] He also was going to be awarded a Silver Star by Captain Andrew "Ack-Ack" Haldane for taking out a pillbox on Peleliu, but Haldane was killed by sniper fire before he could submit it.[1]
Personal life
After the war he went to work for the United States Post Office.[3] While in Melbourne, Burgin met an Australian woman, named Florence Risely. They married in Dallas on January 29, 1947.[3][14] The couple had four daughters.[15][12] Burgin is portrayed in the HBO miniseries The Pacific by Martin McCann.[10][11] Burgin himself appears in documentary footage during the miniseries.[15] He died on April 6, 2019 at the age of 96 in Lancaster, Texas.[16]
Bibliography
- Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific. Penguin. 2010. ISBN 978-0-451-22990-8.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Marine recounts brutal war in Pacific 'Islands': Former Marine R.V. Burgin writes about fighting in WWII". MSNBC Interactive - MSNBC.com. April 9, 2010. TODAY books.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Veteran wants war tales of the Pacific to be remembered". The Dallas Morning News. June 26, 2005.
- ^ a b c d e Burgin, R. V.; with William "Bill" Marvel (2010), Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific, Penguin, ISBN 978-0-451-22990-8
- ^ Burgin, Joe D; ASN: 38482046 . – Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 – 1946 (Enlistment Records). – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
- ^ 274th Infantry Regiment Unit Rosters: COMPANY C (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF), 70th Infantry Division Association
- ^ 274th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division Association
- ^ Casualty Listing: A-C, 70th Infantry Division Association
- ^ "Approach to the Siegfried Line", US Seventh Army Report of Operations, Battery Press (c/o 70th Infantry Division Association), 1988, pp. 678–686
- ^ Sardis Cemetery A-F – Leon County, Texas, USGenWeb Archives
- ^ a b c "Veteran R.V. Burgin Fought In 'The Pacific'". March 11, 2010.
- ^ a b "Texan's Pacific war memoir used for HBO mini-series". Houston Chronicle. April 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Dunn, Si (March 7, 2010), "Book review: 'Islands of the Damned' by RV Burgin", The Dallas Morning News
- ^ Burgin, R.V. Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific.
- ^ Sloan, Bill (2005). Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 – The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War. Simon and Schuster. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7432-8460-8.
- ^ a b Granberry, Michael (March 14, 2010). "'The Pacific,' book spotlight Lancaster veteran's battle story". The Dallas Morning News.
- ^ "Romus Valton Burgin Obituary"
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