The daily monitor leader., 1945-01-05
Wounded Ket,l7
'Awaits Draft
Call in June

ROSEVILLE- A quiet-man
nered boy of II this week wa
making the rounds of South Ma
comb war production factories
hopeful that some employment
manager will give him chanc'
10 help make the products o
war which he formerly used OF
foreign battlefronts.
The l7-year-old veteran wht
participated in the stubborn
fighting around Rome; won tho
Bronze Star for gallaptry in ac'
tion: the Comba, Infantry dec.
Grafton; the Purple Heart TO.
wounds and various other or.
ders of merit, is Robert H. Bur
nison, son of Mr.. and Mrs. Burt
E. Huckel, of 25806 Hoffmeyer
avenue, Roseville.
SHUNS PUBLICITY
This mention of Burnison' 5
out Itanding record for an
A lerican boy veteran will be
far from complete, because in
the first place he is reluctant
concerning publicity, and in the
second place even his mother
and step-father have never been
told details of his overseas ex-
2cyfsccc; his WouSds, or how he
received the Bronze Star which
is awarded only for unusual acts
of heroism.
Robert is more interested in
finding. war plant job which
will keep him busy until June
%, l945, when he will be up for
induction into the army which
he has served gloriously.
The young veteran was at
tending 10th grade classes at
koseville High School when ne
reached his 18th birthday. June
%, l943. He was a big fellow
for his age, and Uncle Sam
needed every man he could get
in those days of all-out war.
ONLY 16
Robert went TO the Detroit in
duction center. told officers he
had reached his 18th birthday,
and was promptly inducted.
Lest parental influence might
enter the picture, the young
man kept his patriotic plans
quiet until he was practically on
the way to Oklahoma for basic
training.
And once he got TO Oklahoma,
the 16-year-old soldier enjoyed
the rigorous army training 50
much that his family hesitated
to Interfere. OF course, they had
no idea he'd be sent overseas.
Il even had a photoStatic copy
made of his birth certificate and
sent it to him." his mother re-
lates. Il told him to turn it over
to the right people,"
NO ONE SAW II
Il guess l sent il TO the wrong
person, that's all, because no
one outside of Robert ever saw
it," she reports, a bit proud of
the boys determination to be a
soldier.
Then Roberts outfit was
shipped overseas, TO the Italian
battle zones. He left the United
States in March 1914, and re-
turned in September of that
year after Army authorities dis
covered his age, and mustered
him out with an honorable dis
charge.
But the story Of what happen
ed in Italy, the things behind
that Bronze Star and other
awards, remains untold, In fact,
the medals and decorations
themselves are tucked away in
Roberts bedroom. It's a chan
ter in his life that belongs ex-
to Robert. Someday he
may show those medals to his
children or grandchildren, and
talk about bis experience. But
not right now.
The Huckel family (there's
another boy, age 15) don't press
Robert for comment on his war
record.
He feels bit strange among
other boys" Mrs. Huckel ex.
plains. He's trying to find him
self again, and get back in the
swing of things. I know a job
in war plant will do a lot for
him. What will happen at the
induction center in June, when
he's 18 years old, is something
we don't discuss right now.
But Mrs. Huckel admits Ro-
bert would like to right back