Colonel (Retired) George T. Burns

George Thomas Burns, alias "the Colonel" or "the Rock Soldier" … Passed away January 8, 2020. Dad was born October 5, 1924 in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania to James A. and Margaret Burns. He was the oldest of four children. Dad had three sisters… Mary Gottlieb, Nancy Bickhardt and Francie McMenamin. In 1954 he married his beloved wife, Eva Bell Brown. Together they had five children… Patrick Xavier, Timothy James, Richard Bolling, Sharon Rose Williams, and Yvonne (Bonnie) Teresa Strickland. He was also a grandfather to four children… LeAnne Marie Williams, Jon Rexon Milner II, Samantha Abigail Milner, and Marc Nolan Strickland. He also had one great grandchild, Avery Jorgensen.

He was a Soldiers Soldier who absolutely loved being in the United States Army leading the men and women planning and executing successful missions around the globe. Having served tours both in wartime and peacetime many places around the world, he had a profound respect for the professional accomplishments, personal sacrifices and courage of the men and women not only in our Army, but our military across the spectrum.

Listening to one of his Airmen from MacDill AFB who was assigned to his Communications Support Element (CSE), he said, "Colonel Burns was a Master Motivator," He told us after his unit was overrun many years before in the Korean war, we would always be in the best shape possible, so an overrun would never happen again. He was on us intensely to do our daily dozen and to build up to our 25-mile road marches every 6 months to meet his standard and to be ready. We were a proud bunch and it was due to his hard-gut training which gave us the "go get em" attitudes and to Always try harder. Eventually, we were known as USSTRICOM's " Strike Trained Killers" . We would have followed him anywhere.

Highlights of my father's career are as follows:

Colonel Burns entered the United States Army after graduating from Upper Darby High School in Pennsylvania at age 17 in June 1942 as an enlisted man. The period of 1942 through 1945 saw Private Burns advance to the rank of Corporal and then to Sergeant while assigned to the 76th Infantry Division as it moved through England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. During this time, he participated in the "Battle of the Bulge" and his primary duties were as a Communication Sergeant and a Forward Observer for both artillery and infantry units. After the end of the World War II, Sergeant Burns was on occupation duty in Germany until 1945.

Upon returning home, he reenlisted in the Signal Corps and entered the high-speed radio operators' course at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. After graduation, he was assigned as Field First Sergeant of the Training Regiment there. This duty continued until 1947 when he left for Fort Benning, Georgia to attend the Officers Candidate School (OCS).

At Fort Benning he graduated 2nd in his OCS class that started out with 202 Candidates and achieved Company Honors by breaking the previously set course record for the fastest time when completing the grueling Infantry Combat Course. Although commissioned in the Infantry after graduation for OCS, Second Lieutenant Burns immediately transferred to the signal Corps and returned to Fort Monmouth for the Signal Officers Basic Course.

Upon completion of his studies in March 1947, he was assigned to Camp Drake, Tokyo, Japan and the 1st Signal Troop of the 1st Calvary Division. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in March 1949 and remained with the 1st Signal Troop until June 26, 1950 – the day War broke out in Korea .

The following day First Lieutenant Burns was in Kyoto, Japan, with the 8036th Radio Relay Company. The unit was immediately shipped to Korea, where it installed the Eighth Army's first long-distance field communication system. Working as a radio relay team leader, First Lieutenant Burns supervised the installation of the relay sites throughout Korea during the Korean War.

He transferred to the 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary in March 1951 and saw duty there as a Pioneer and Ammunition Platoon Leader, Communications Officer, Infantry Unit Commander, and the Assistant Regimental Communications Officer. Returning to the U.S. in January of 1952, he was assigned to the 313th Signal Operations Battalion, Fort Meade, Maryland for duty as Battalion Motor Officer, Assistant Operations Officer and Unit Commander. In February of 1953 First Lieutenant Burns was promoted to Captain and two months later he was assigned to Fort Benning for airborne training.

Captain Burns was then assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he became the Commanding Officer of the mighty 82nd Signal Company. He loved being an All-American Paratrooper and a highly trained Jump Master ready to deploy worldwide as the Presidents First Echelon. He remained at Fort Bragg until 1955, when he entered the Advance Signal Officers School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

Upon completion of his studies in 1956, Captain Burns departed for Italy and assignment to the Southern European Task Force (Geronimo's) which was then being activated. As Commanding Officer , he supervised the activation and training of the 124th Signal Company, the first unit to put a Field Army Area Communication System into use.

In 1958 he was promoted to Major and in 1959 returned to the Fort Monmouth Signal School as an instructor in the Signal Plans and Operations. Later Major Burns became Chief of the Applied Communications Division .

In 1962 and 1963, Major Burns was stationed at Quantico, Virginia, Marine Base for attendance to the Command and General Staff College . After graduation and the promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 1963, he returned to the far east for duty with the Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) as Chief of Signal Plans and Operations and later as the Senior Signal Advisor .

Returning to the United States in 1966, Lieutenant Colonel Burns was assigned to the highly deployable U.S. Strike Command (USSTRICOM) at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida, as Commanding Officer of USSTRICOM's organic Communication Support Element (CSE). The CSE was a joint Army/Air Force Battalion Command and was responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the USSTRICOM Commander in Chief's (4 Star) Tactical Command Communications at both MacDill Air Force based headquarters and the airborne and ground mobile command posts.

Deploying to the Republic of Vietnam Commanding the CSE in the Vietnam conflict was large part of this assignment and deployment.

Following his command and a short break back in the USA, a reassignment to the Republic of Vietnam in 1968 again followed. Arriving on May 8th he was assigned as Plans Director, 1st Signal Brigade (USASTRATCOM) and shortly afterwards, on May 13, was promoted to the rank of Colonel and remained in the Republic of Vietnam for another year. After this tour, he was reassigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia to Combat Development Command (CDC) where he served as Chief of Communications Electronics.

In 1973, Colonel Burns was reassigned to Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) which was just standing up at Fort Monroe, Virginia as TRADOC's Communications-Electronics expert and Commander of USACC/TRADOC. In this position, he traveled extensively around the United States to more than thirty diverse locations mentoring Commanders and their Soldiers how to properly train and be ready as communication experts in the United States Army.

Among some of his decorations are the *Legion of Merit with an Oak leaf Cluster, the *Bronze Star for Valor with Oak leaf Cluster, the *Bronze Star for Merit with Oak leaf Cluster, the *Joint Services Commendation Medal, the *Army Commendation Medal, the *Combat Infantryman Badge and the *Master Parachutist Badge. Colonel Burns is a graduate of the Army War College .

In 1977 and upon completion of more than 35 years of honorable service both Overseas and in the United States, Colonel George T. Burns retired and resided himself and his family in Newport News, Virginia in their beautiful home in Walnut Grove. He continued working his second career as a consultant in the communications industry, also as a tax preparer, a property manager and volunteering for many political campaigns and interests. His hobbies in retirement included watching sports (boxing/ football), working on his automobiles, improving our family's home on the range and reading his bible. He had a great love for his pets which were a major part of our FAMILY.

He enjoyed a good steak/seafood and being home after traveling the world many times over. An outstanding leader, disciplined Soldier, brilliant mentor and a wonderful man of kindness, compassion, generosity, and fairness, George walked with faith and courage, a wake of goodwill behind him, always seeking and treading the right path. An extraordinary man…an extraordinary life… Colonel George T. Burns will be remembered.

Eva Bell was the love of his life along with his children and grandchildren. Mom passed away 13 years ago after being married to Dad for 54 years. She was previously laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Survivors include his sister Mary Gottlieb, five children… Patrick Xavier, Timothy James, Richard Bolling, Sharon Rose Williams, and Yvonne ( Bonnie) Strickland. He was also a grandfather to four children… LeAnne Marie Williams, Jon Rexon Milner II, Samantha Abigail Milner, and Marc Nolan Strickland. He also had one great grandchild, Avery Jorgensen and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services and burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a later day to be announced. A reception will follow at the Fort Myer Officers Club, immediately after the burial.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Alzheimer's Foundation of America . The family wishes to thank the staff at W.J. Smith and Son Funeral Home for their caring professionalism and kindness. Friends may sign the on-line guestbook by visiting www.wjsmithandsonfh.com

Airborne! ALL the WAY Sir!