Edward Louis Burrows was born April 4, 1915 in Clinton, NY to Robert Henry Burrows (1887-1976) and Ruth D. Denison (1890-1967). His parents were married on June 30, 1909 in Clinton, NY. His dad was a farmer, rural mail carrier and assessor for the Town of Kirkland. His mom was a piano teacher and secretary to the Board of Assessors for the Town of Kirkland, NY. He had older brothers Robert Henry(1910-?), William Frank (1911-) and Frederick Denison (1913-1936), a younger brother George Kenneth (1920-?) and a younger sister Ruth Elizabeth "Betty" (1924-2002). His parents also had a 7th child, Helen, who died at birth in 1926. According to their family history, the family lived on the Marsh homestead on Brimfield Street in Clinton, NY, the fifth generation of the family to live there since is was established in 1790. (1930 U.S. Census records record their residence as Chuckery Road.)

Edward was an accomplished musician and composer, his name appearing often in the local papers for giving performances. His was a member of the Clinton Grange and he graduated from Clinton Central High School in 1933. He worked in a local A&P store for a time before heading off to college. When he registered for the draft at the DeWitt Clinton School in Rome, NY on October 6, 1940 he was a student at Ithaca College. He was 5'-9" tall, weighed 150 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He graduated from Ithaca College in June 1941 with a degree in Music. He participated in numerous musical performances while at Ithaca College and continued to perform after graduating for the local Grange, often winning performances and accolades. He was supervisor of music in the Germantown Central School in 1941, 42.

He enlisted in the Army on July 9, 1942 with service number 12096360. He received his training at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma where he graduated from Intelligence School and the School of Communications and Secret Code first in his class of 120 (or 200 depending on which news clip you believe). In September 1943 he was promoted to T/5 and assigned to the HQ Company of the 349th Infantry. He was given a furlough home from Fort Sam Houston, Texas to visit his parents that same September. He went overseas in December 1943 and landed with the 88th Division in Africa on Christmas Day. In January 1944 he spent four months in the hospital in Oran, Algeria for a serious ear infection (Mastodiditis). After recovering he was sent to Italy to join his unit already in combat there.

On June 16, 1944, after the fall of Rome, he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge for satisfactory performance of duty in action against the enemy. On October 22, 1944 the 349th Infantry was attacking strongly defended German positions in the northern Apennines. The regiment was pushing against elements of the German defensive system protecting the approaches to Bologna. The terrain was steep mountains covered in woods. There were frequent interruptions to communications, requiring Headquarters Company personnel to move forward under fire to repair wire or relay messages.

On October 20, 1944, Sgt. Burrows was killed in the vicinity of San Clemete, Italy in the battle for Mt. Grande. His Bronze Star citation notes,

"When his battalion attacked enemy positions, the forward command post was set up in a house on a mountain. From a hill to the east there was excellent hostile observation of terrain. As the enemy counter-attacked, they brought artillery fire on the mountain, driving troops to seek cover, increasing the need for supporting fire. To assure maintenance of contact by radio, Sgt. Burrows remained exposed to the blast of enemy shells, sending and receiving messages while shell fragments splintered rocks in the wall beside him. Suddenly an enemy shell crashed through the walls rocking the whole house, forcing men to run wildly for cover. Collapsing the structure into a heap of rubble, another shell killed seven and injured 10 of the men, but Sgt. Burrows stayed at his post. Refusing to seek shelter from intense fire, Sgt. Burrows fearlessly continued working in the exposed positions to avoid losing the already weak signals. While he was sending and receiving messages at the ruins of the house, a shell hit directly in Sgt. Burrows' position, killing him instantly. The heroic action of Sgt. Burrows in maintaining communications was responsible for urgently needed artillery support, a vital factor in holding the position against counter-attacks."

In October 1945 his Bronze Star was awarded to his parents at their home on Mulberry Street in Clinton, NY. His body was returned home in November 1948 during the government's body recover program. It was escorted by the Helmuth-Ingalls Post 232 of the American Legion and laid to rest with full military honors in the family plot at Sunset Hill Cemetery, Clinton, NY. In his honor, flags were flown at half-mast and stores were closed.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

"250 to Join In Music Fest At Clinton", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, May 20, 1949, pg. 26.

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

"Area Soldier, Former Utican Die in Action", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, November 10, 1944, pg. 16

"Army Awards medal to Soldier's Kin", The Clinton Courier, Clinton, NY, October 4, 1945, pg. 1.

"Bronze Stars Are Won By Two Men", Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, February 5, 1945, pg. 12.

"Edward Burrows Graduated By Ithaca College Monday", The Clinton Courier, June 12, 1941, pg. 1.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146084261/edward_l-burrows: accessed July 18, 2026), memorial page for Sgt Edward L. Burrows (1915–22 Oct 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 146084261, citing Sunset Hill Cemetery, Clinton, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Andrew L. (contributor 46818829).

"Funeral Held for Sgt. Burrows", Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, November 28, 1948

"Grange Singers Heard in School Auditorium", Richfield Springs Mercury, Richfield Springs, NY, July 27, 193?, pg 4.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; FICHE_1368; Record Group 64; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Army General Orders; NAID: 483354636.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; FICHE_1008; Record Group 64; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Army General Orders; NAID: 467268968.

"Posthumous Award Made By Army to Sgt. Burrows", The Clinton Courier, Clinton, NY, February 1, 1945, pg. 1.

Robert Burrows and Descendants, 1630-1974 / Compiler and Publisher, R Earl Burrows; Author: Burrows, Raymond Earl, 1894-

"Services Held Saturday for Sgt. E. L. Burrows",

"Sgt. Burrows Reported Killed in Italy", The Clinton Courier, Clinton, NY, November 9, 1944, pg. 1.

"Sgt. Burrows Wins Award Posthumously", Rome Sentinel, Rome, NY, October 1, 1945, pg. 7.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Kirkland, Oneida, New York; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0020; FHL microfilm: 2341354

Supporting Documents