Tony K. Burris

For the American football player, see Tony Burris (American football).

Tony Kenneth Burris
Born	(1929-05-30)May 30, 1929 Blanchard, Oklahoma, US
Died	October 9, 1951(1951-10-09) (aged 22) Heartbreak Ridge, Gangwon Province, Korea
Place of burial	Blanchard Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1947–1951
Rank	Sergeant First Class
Unit	3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division
Battles / wars	Korean War Battle of Heartbreak Ridge  (DOW)
Awards	Medal of Honor Purple Heart Silver Star

Tony Kenneth Burris (May 30, 1929 – October 9, 1951) was a Choctaw soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 8–9, 1951, during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge.

He is buried in Blanchard Cemetery, Blanchard, Oklahoma. His grave can be found at GPS (lat/lon): 35.1591, -97.65226.

Awards and decorations

Burris's awards include:

Badge	Combat Infantryman Badge
1st row	Medal of Honor
2nd row	Purple Heart				Army Good Conduct Medal				National Defense Service Medal
3rd row	Korean Service Medal with 2 Campaign stars				United Nations Korea Medal				Korean War Service Medal

Medal of Honor citation

Burris Field at Fort Lewis was named in honor of Tony K. Burris.

Tony K. Burris

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company L, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division

Place and date: vicinity of Mundung-ni, Korea 8-9 October 1951

Entered service at: Blanchard, Okla. Birth: Blanchard, Okla.

G.O. No.: 84, September 5, 1952.

Citation:

Sfc. Burris, a member of Company L, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty. On 8 October, when his company encountered intense fire from an entrenched hostile force, Sfc. Burris charged forward alone, throwing grenades into the position and destroying approximately 15 of the enemy. On the following day, spearheading a renewed assault on enemy positions on the next ridge, he was wounded by machine gun fire but continued the assault, reaching the crest of the ridge ahead of his unit and sustaining a second wound. Calling for a 57mm. recoilless rifle team, he deliberately exposed himself to draw hostile fire and reveal the enemy position. The enemy machine gun emplacement was destroyed. The company then moved forward and prepared to assault other positions on the ridge line. Sfc. Burris, refusing evacuation and submitting only to emergency treatment, joined the unit in its renewed attack but fire from hostile emplacement halted the advance. Sfc. Burris rose to his feet, charged forward and destroyed the first emplacement with its heavy machine gun and crew of 6 men. Moving out to the next emplacement, and throwing his last grenade which destroyed this position, he fell mortally wounded by enemy fire. Inspired by his consummate gallantry, his comrades renewed a spirited assault which overran enemy positions and secured Hill 605, a strategic position in the battle for "Heartbreak Ridge", Sfc. Burris' indomitable fighting spirit, outstanding heroism, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest glory upon himself, the infantry and the U.S. Army.

See also

• List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Native American Medal of Honor recipients
• Tony K. Burris at Find a Grave

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

• ""TONY K. BURRIS" entry". Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
• "Tony K. Burris". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved August 28, 2011.