Robert Whitney Burns (September 15, 1908 – September 5, 1964) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who commanded the

Air Training Command Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...

from August 1, 1963, to August 10, 1964.

Biography

Burns was born in 1908 in

Stanley, Wisconsin Stanley is a city in Chippewa and Clark counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,608 at the 2010 census. Of this, 3,602 were in Chippewa County, and 6 in Clark County. History Stanley was settled and platted in 1881 whe ...

. He attended what is now the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Burns died in 1964 in San Antonio, Texas, of a short illness, shortly after his retirement. He is buried with his wife, Caroline, at Arlington National Cemetery.Burial Detail: Burns, Robert W
– ANC Explorer Caroline was the daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Archie Miller and granddaughter of Brigadier General

Samuel Whitside Samuel M. Whitside was a United States Cavalry officer who served from 1858 to 1902. He commanded at every level from company to department for 32 of his 43 years in service, including Army posts such a Camp Huachuca, Jefferson Barracks, and Fort ...

, both of whom are also buried at Arlington.

Career

Burns joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1928. First he was assigned to the

17th Pursuit Squadron 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...

. In 1932 he was reassigned to the

19th Pursuit Squadron The 19th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force fighter jet squadron and is a part of the Pacific Air Forces' (PACAF) 15th Wing based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii. The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air ...

. Later he would be assigned to tours of duty at

Crissy Field Crissy Field is a public recreation area on the northern shore of the San Francisco Peninsula in California, United States, located just east of the Golden Gate Bridge. It includes restored tidal marsh and beaches. Crissy Field is a former Un ...

and Randolph Air Force Base. In 1940, he was a member of the Air Corps Military Mission to Chile, returning to the US in 1942. In 1943, he was sent to England, and the following year became Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations of the VIII Fighter Command. Later in 1944, he became director of operations of the

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...

. In the final months of the war his commands included the

4th Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

and

14th Bombardment Wing 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing by Maurice Philippe for use in the season. The cars were powered by ...

s. Burns would become Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force in 1953 and take command of the Fifth Air Force in 1958. In 1961 Burns would become Chairman of the

Inter-American Defense Board The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) is an international committee of nationally appointed defense officials who develop collaborative approaches on common defense and security issues facing countries in North, Central, and South America. The ...

. While serving the assignment he was also assigned as senior Air Force member of the Military Staff Committee. In 1963 he was assigned as commanding officer of

. A year later Burns would retire, effective as of August 10. Awards he received include the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

, the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with two oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the

Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

, the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

, and the

Order of the Merit of Chile The Order of Merit ( es, link=no, Orden al Mérito) is a Chilean order and was created in 1929. Succeeding the Medal of the Merit, which was created during the term of the President Germán Riesco through the Minister of War decree No. 1350 on ...

(First Class). Burns was also a member of the Order of the British Empire.

References

External links

Robert Whitney Burns
ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website {{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, Robert Whitney People from Stanley, Wisconsin Military personnel from Wisconsin United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) Honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 1908 births 1964 deaths