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Description
Oral History interview of John C. Burns. Interview conducted by James Solomons at University of Central Florida Library in Orlando, FL.
Log
1:15 Family background; 2:23 Influences to join military; 3:38 First days in military; 4:35 Commission; 5:01 Training to be an officer; 6:21 Specialized training; 7:15 "Where were you stationed"; 9:30 Germany; 16:17 Language barriers and communication; 19:37 Panama and Operation Just Cause; 25:12 POW recovery in Vietnam and Grenada; 30:00 Kosovo 1999; 33:15 Operation Iraqi Freedom: Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq; 35:30 Duties in Iraq; 39:10 Communication home; 41:42 Unusual events while serving; 45:32 IED explosion; 49:48 Naval war College (Military faculty); 51:16 Post-service adjustments; 52:18 Simulation software; 53:27 Retirement; 53:50 Post-service occupation and daily life; 55:15 Correspondence with old military friends; 56:14 Reflection on service.
Date of Birth
1958-09-16
Place of Birth
Waynesburg (Pa.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Pennsylvania
War or Conflict
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1980-05-24
Type
Video; MovingImage
2007-09-30
Entrance into Service
Commissioned
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
1. Military Faculty, Naval War College (2001-2003, 2004-2007); 2. C3 Chief of Operations, 3rd Army and the Coalition Forces Land: Component Command (Jan 2003-Jul 2004 in Kuwait and Iraq; 3. Aviation Brigade Task Force Commander. Multi¬ National Bde East, Kosovo (Jun-Dec 1999; 4. Commander, 2-1st Aviation Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Katterbach Airfield, Germany (1980-2000); 5. Readiness Planner, Joint Staff J-7, Pentagon; 6. Staff Officer, DCSOPS Force Development directorate, Army Staff Pentagon (1994-1996)…
Location of Service
Kuwait; Iraq; Afghanistan; Korea; Panama; Germany; Persian Gulf; Cambodia; Vietnam
Highest Rank
Colonel; COL
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
Yes
Battles
Persian Gulf Operation; Just Cause Operation; Joint Guardian Operation
Medals
Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Combat Action Badge; Master Aviator Badge; Senior Parachutist Badge
Achievements
Military Faculty, Naval War College, 2 Tours - Naval War College Course Director for Joint Land Air Sea Simulation (JLASS) Senior Service College Strategic Planning Program, AY 2005-2007. - IED Survivor - Baghdad 2004 - Chief of Operations for Coalition. Theater Land Command Headquarters (CFLCC)/3rd Anny at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom Jan 2003-July 2004 - initial Avn Bde Task Force Commander for Operation Joint Guardian NATO Peace Enforcement mission in Kosovo in 1999 - Det Commander - POW/M IA Recovery mission in Cambodia and Vietnam - 1992. First use of US military helicopters in Southeast Asia since end of Vietnam War. - JTF Planner for Operation Just Cause responsible for PC targets, 1989-1990.
Note
Not applicable
City of Birth
Waynesburg
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Solomons, James
Interview Date
3-28-2014
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida Library in Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Burns, John C.; Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives; Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, 2001-present -- Personal narratives; United States. Army
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Solomons, James
Length of Interview
58 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
video
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Burns, John C. - interview" (2014). Veterans Oral Histories. 200.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/200