Kenneth Allison Burrows was born Aug. 30, 1927 to Leo Edmund and Cornelia Christina Allison Burrows.
Capt. Burrows served with the U.S. Naval Air Corps in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He earned four Silver Star medals, one Legion of Merit, four Distinguished Flying crosses, three Bronze Star medals, 21 Air Medals, three Navy Commendation medals, a Vietnamese Gallantry cross and a Vietnamese Meritorious Service order. His second Meritorious Service medal was presented Tuesday, May 30, 1972 by Vice Adm. Thomas J. Walker, commander of the Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force.
Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA - June 7, 1972
Navy Veteran winds up 27-year career at North Island, Calif.
NAS North Island, Calif.—Captain Kenneth A. Burrows, a native of Webster City and one of the Navy’s most decorated aviators ended a 27-year naval career here on June 1.
Burrows, whose aunt, Mrs. Marian Rice, lives at 808 Walnut St., Webster City, was serving as the assistant force readiness officer at the headquarters of the Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force at the time of his retirement.
In that job he was responsible for monitoring the combat readiness of the nine aircraft carriers, 2,000 aircraft and more than 68,000 Navy men and women assigned to the Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force.
This force is presently committed to the conflict in southeast Asia.
Burrows began his naval career in 1945 when he was accepted as a naval aviation cadet at Doone College, Crete, Neb.
Since then he has served as the operations officer on an aircraft carrier division staff, a strategic planner, an instructor at various naval air activities and squadrons and the commanding officer of an air squadron.
He also served as the commander of Attack Carrier Air Wing 11 and made two deployments to the Vietnam combat zone with that air wing on board the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.
During his career which covered combat operations in the Korean war as well as the conflict in southeast Asia, the 44-year-old captain earned four Silver Star medals, one Legion of Merit, four Distinguished Flying crosses, three Bronze Star medals, 21 Air Medals, three Navy Commendation medals, a Vietnamese Gallantry cross and a Vietnamese Meritorious Service order.
These were awarded for his outstanding aerial prowess and his meritorious service in several highly responsible Navy staff positions.
His second Meritorious Service medal was presented Tuesday, May 30, by Vice Adm. Thomas J. Walker, commander of the Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force.
Burrows earned this decoration for the “extraordinary grasp of operational procedures, inspirational leadership and organizational ability” he displayed while serving at the naval air force headquarters.
A citation accompanying the award credits him with “significantly enhancing the readiness posture and combat capability” of the force.
Captain Burrows says that exposure to combat and opportunities to manage important programs made his 27 years of service “extremely exciting.”
As for changes that have come about during his career, the captain said he feels the increasing emphasis the Navy is now putting on its people and their welfare is very significant and that it is good for the Navy and the country.
He says that his immediate plans for civilian employment are indefinite.
Source: ancestry.com
Obituary * * 1927-2018
CAPT US NAVY
WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM
Ken Burrows, 91, passed away on September 27, 2018 in Cedar City, Utah.
Capt. Kenneth Allison Burrows, USN (Ret.) was born in Iowa Falls, IA., in 1927 to Leo Edmund and Cornelia Allison Burrows. He entered the Navy at Doane College (Crete, NE) and also completed extensive aviation training, an associate degree from Coleman College (San Diego, CA), a B.S. degree from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL), and graduate work at Naval War College (Newport, RI).
He began his 27 years of Naval service during WWII and went on to accomplish five combat tours, one in Korea and four in Vietnam. He flew 100 combat missions off the coast of North and South Korea and 152 combat missions in Vietnam. Ken later served as a flight instructor, ship board officer and fighter pilot. During the height of the Vietnam conflict, he completed 19 months as the Commander of Air Wing-10 on board the USS Intrepid (CAG) and was honored with two Silver Stars.
Ken is survived by his wife of 11 years, Barbara Seeley Burrows; his daughter from his first marriage to Mary Lou Whittington: Laura Lynn Wilson (James Wilson) of Citrus Heights, CA; his sons from his second wife of 48 years, Winona Root: James Mark Burrows (Teresa Burrows) of Guatay, CA; and John Michael Burrows (Gail Burrows) of San Diego, CA; his stepson, John Mark Doss of San Francisco, CA; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Winona, as well as his brothers, Donald William Burrows and Robert Leo Burrows.
Ken enjoyed woodworking and golf and was active at Calvary Chapel Church and the Elks Lodge in Cedar City, UT. Ken and Barbie shared their lives between Las Vegas, Cedar City, and the world. Ken completed a lifelong goal of visiting all 50 states and together with Barbie, traveled to five continents. Barbie calls Ken her “Captain who took me across the Bering Sea.” His was a life fully lived and he will be greatly missed.
Interment with military honors will take place in the National Veterans Cemetery in Miramar, CA on Friday, October 12, 2018 at 9:30 am.
Source: Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA
