Allen M. Burdett Jr.

Lieutenant General

Allen Mitchell Burdett Jr.
Lieutenant General; Allen Mitchell Burdett Jr.
Born	August 25, 1921; Washington, D.C.
Died	July 8, 1980 (aged 58); San Antonio, Texas
Buried	Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943–1978
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	0-26048
Commands	see below
Battles / wars	World War II; Korean War; Vietnam War
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star Medal; Legion of Merit; Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star Medal; Air Medal; Purple Heart
Spouse(s)	Antoinette Salley (1948–1980) (his death)
Relations	Allen M. Burdett, Sr. (father); Margaret Burdett (mother); Lucien Burdett (brother); Allen M. Burdett III (son); Douglas Burdett (son); William Burdett (son); Margaret Burdett (daughter)

Allen Mitchell Burdett Jr. (25 August 1921 – 8 July 1980) was a United States Army lieutenant general.

Early life

Burdett was born in Washington, D.C., on August 25, 1921, to Allen Sr. and Margaret Burdett. He also had a brother named Lucien. His ancestors fought in every American conflict since the Revolutionary War. His father, a highly respected military judge, became the Army's senior JAG colonel. As a Boy Scout at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Burdett began his lifelong friendship with a future United States Military Academy (USMA) classmate, Arch Hamblen. Upon graduation from Western High School in Washington, D.C., in 1939, he was appointed to the USMA by Senator Richard Russell Jr. of Georgia.

Education

1943: Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy
1951: Graduate Infantry School
1953: Command and General Staff College
1955: Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
1959: Army War College
1965: Master's degree in International Affairs, George Washington University

Military service

Dates of rank

June 1, 1943: Second lieutenant^[1]
December 1, 1943: First lieutenant^[1]
November 6, 1944: Captain^[1]
August 7, 1946: Major^[2]
March 16, 1953: Lieutenant colonel^[3]
September 1, 1959: Colonel^[4]
October 22, 1966: Brigadier general^[5]
c. 1970: Major general
1973: Lieutenant general

Assignments

1940 – 1943: Attended the United States Military Academy, graduated on June 1, 1943
1943 – 1947: Served in World War II with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 255th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division,^[6] commissioned (ASN: O-26048), reached the rank of Major
1947 – 1950: Assistant Professor, Military science and tactics, Georgia Institute of Technology
1950 – 1952: S3 and Battalion Executive Officer, 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team
1953 – 1954: Infantry Battalion Commander, Regimental Executive Officer, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division
1954: G1 and G2, 7th Infantry Division
1955 – 1958: Army Representative Office of the Commandant of the United States Air Force Academy
1960 – 1962: Director of the Combat Devels and worked in the office of the deputy assistant commandant of the Army Aviation School
1962 – 1965: Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of the Army
1965 – 1966: Commanding Officer of the 11th Aviation Group, 1st Cavalry Division
1966 – 1968: Military assistant in the Office of the Director of the Office of Defense, Research and Engineering
1968 – 1969: Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division
1969 – 1970: Commanding general of the 1st Aviation Brigade
1970: Director of Army Aviation, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development, Department of the Army
1970 – 1973: Commanding general of the United States Army Aviation Center and commandant of the United States Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Alabama
1973 – 1975: Commanding general of III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas
1975 – 1978: Commanding general of the 5th United States Army, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
1978: Retired from military service on June 30, 1978, with the rank of lieutenant general.

Personal life

On 19 April 1948, Burdett married Antoinette Salley in Asheville, North Carolina. Together they had four children (Allen III, Douglas, William, and Margaret). His daughter was killed in a car accident in 1984. His wife died on April 24, 2008.

After retirement

He continued his work with the Board of Directors of the United Services Automobile Association (USAA). He was a longtime member of the Army-Navy Town Club and the Army-Navy Country Club; as a member of the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, Falls Church, Virginia, he served as a deacon; as a member of the Covenant Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, he was a ruling elder. He was also a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

Death

Burdett died of cancer on July 8, 1980, in San Antonio, Texas, following a two-month illness. He was buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.^[7]

Awards & decorations

Combat Infantryman Badge
United States Army Senior Aviator Badge
Senior Parachutist Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Army Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster^[8]
Silver Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster^[8]
Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster^[8]
Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster^[8]
Bronze Star Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 24 oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Purple Heart
National Order of Vietnam 5th Class
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm
Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order
Presidential Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Commendation with oak leaf cluster
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

In 1980 he was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Lt. Gen. Allen M. Burdett Jr. Army Aviation Flight Safety Award was named in his honor in 1970.

The National Boy Scout Court of Honor awarded him the Silver Beaver, one of Scouting's highest awards.

The San Antonio chapter of the American Red Cross honored him by establishing a volunteer award in his name.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Army Register (1946)
^ U.S. Army Register (1948)
^ U.S. Army Register (1956), Volume 1
^ U.S. Army Register (1961), Volume 1
^ U.S. Army Register (1967), Volume 1
^ "Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 255th Infantry Regiment" (PDF). 63d Infantry Division.
^ "Map Layout of Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery". Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Allen M. Burdett Jr". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

External links

[U.S._Army_Register_1946-1] U.S. Army Register (1946)

[2] U.S. Army Register (1948)

[3] U.S. Army Register (1956), Volume 1

[4] U.S. Army Register (1961), Volume 1

[5] U.S. Army Register (1967), Volume 1

[6] "Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 255th Infantry Regiment" (PDF). 63d Infantry Division.

[7] "Map Layout of Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery". Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.

[Hallofvalor-8] "Allen M. Burdett Jr". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

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Lieutenant General Allen Mitchell Burdett Jr.

Born	(1921-08-25)August 25, 1921 Washington, D.C.
Died	July 8, 1980(1980-07-08) (aged 58) San Antonio, Texas
Buried	Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943–1978
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	0-26048
Commands	see below
Battles / wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal Air Medal Purple Heart
Spouse(s)	Antoinette Salley (1948–1980) (his death)
Relations	Allen M. Burdett, Sr. (father) Margaret Burdett (mother) Lucien Burdett (brother) Allen M. Burdett III (son) Douglas Burdett (son) William Burdett (son) Margaret Burdett (daughter)