John Robert Burns ~ Obituary

Memphian Missing In War
Is Put On List Of Dead

Air Force Captain John R. Burns, a 33-year-old
Memphian who had been listed as missing in the
Vietnam war area for more than two months,
yesterday was declared dead.

Mrs. Velma R. Burns of 2532 Frayser Boulevard said
yesterday she received the Air Force notification
Tuesday.

Captain Burns became the 42nd Shelby Countian to die in the war.

Mrs. Burns said she was advised August 4 that her
husband, a pilot was missing.

A Defense Department spokesman in Washington said yesterday that Captain Burns" A-1E Skyraider, was struck by ground fire August 4 during a mission.
He said the plane crashed and that no parachute was
sighted and no distress signal was received.

"John was on temporary duty in Thailand, " said
Mrs. Burns. "He was with the 602nd Fighter Squadron and was flying classified missions out of Thailand.

(There have been numerous published reports of attacks against the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos by United States planes. There have been no official confirmation of such raids.

Captain Burns had been in the combat area since January 5. Normal duty tours of that type last 12 months.

Captain Burns had been in the Air Force since January 1955, when he was commissioned through the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Memphis State University.

At Memphis State he was president of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity and of the Interfraternity Council. He was a member of Frayser Heights Methodist Church.

Captain Burns also leaves three children: Phyllis
Burns, Natalie Burns and Kevin Burns, all of the
Frayser address; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil M.
Burns of 1176 Wilbec; two sisters, Mrs. Anthony
Rossini of 1698 Merrycrest and Mrs. Stanford Seale
of Batesville, Mississippi; and his grandmother, Mrs.
W. B. Goforth of Dover, Tennessee.

Plane Of Former Paris Resident
Downed In Action

An Air Force Pilot Formerly from Paris, now of Memphis,
has been shot down in Vietnam, relatives here have learned.

Captain Johnny Burns, about 34, was reported missing in
action. The father of four children who live with his wife
in Memphis, Burns is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Burns
of Memphis and formerly of Paris.

Burns graduated from Grove High School and Memphis State
University before entering the Air Force immediately after
graduating from MSU. He is a jet pilot in the service.

He was home for two weeks in July and only recently has
been stationed in Vietnam. No details other than his plane
was shot down was given in the report.

Among relatives in Paris are an uncle, Hafford Burns,
and two aunts, Mrs. Russell Ramsey and Mrs. Mary Lou
Mustain.

The text and scan of John in uniform were provided by
Margaret ('53) Burns and Frank ('51) Hooser
(Margaret was the first cousin of John Burns)