A Fair Share of War by Col. John R. Burks, published by Outskirts Press

A Fair Share of War

World War II - Korea - Vietnam

by Col. John R. Burks

A Fair Share of War

World War II - Korea - Vietnam

by Col. John R. Burks

Published Nov 24, 2009
476 Pages
6 x 9 Black & White Dust-Jacketed Hardback
Genre: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Military

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Book Details

"In the cyclic turn-of-events, the highs, the lows, the successes, the failures, I would opt to conclude that the survival - the achievement of the goal: a military career as a professional soldier - was the ultimate high."

Colonel Burks' inspiration for this book can be credited to his fellow soldiers, our nation's many great and good leaders, and the system that prevails. He dedicates this effort, therefore, to those equally dedicated but goal-denied peers, who fell in WWII, in Korea, between the Wars, and in Vietnam.

Book Excerpt

My Dad, from earliest childhood remembrances, always called me "Colonel". The derivation of that choice of address I never knew — I guess I just "grew into it!"

Not too many readers were at an age of awareness on December 7th, 1941, but those of us who were can remember exactly what and where they were at that fateful moment. Our lives were altered in ways we would never have imagined. For far too many, the days of life to come were few.

At age 18, unmarried and without clearly established goals, I was concluding a holiday weekend preparatory to resuming duties as a refinery lab tester at the Wynnewood oil refinery (in Oklahoma). Eighteen months out of high-school, an aspiring pre-med student, I had a grand total of 12 credit hours in the Oklahoma University system. Little did we know what changes would be brought to our lives on that fateful day.

About the Author

Col. John R. Burks

Born: January 27, 1923 in Tulsa Oklahoma

Graduate: Wynnewood, Oklahoma. High School (1940), United States Army Air Force Gunnery School, University of Maryland, U.S. Army Officer Candidate School, Fort Riley, Kansas (1949), U.S.Army Field Artillery School-Basic and Advanced Courses, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas., U.S.Army Language School, Department of Defense Strategic Intelligence School, Department of Defense Logistics Management Course, Department of Defense Management School, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Completed combat tours in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Peacetime overseas service included tours in Germany -1954-57 as commander of intelligence operations along the Czech/West German border; Korea, 1964-65 as Chief of Operations, G-2 Eighth U.S.Army. Assigned to the Army General Staff, Pentagon 1959-61; transferred to Department of Defense National Military System Support Center, Pentagon 1962-63. Assigned to U.S.Army Inspector General Staff 1965-67. Commanded 6th Battalion, 8th Artillery (175 Gun.)

Major career awards and decorations included: Legion of Merit (3 awards), Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal (11 awards), Department of Defense Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3 awards), Vietnamese Honor Medal, 12 battle stars for four campaigns in each war. Upon retirement, The Oklahoma Distinguished Service Medal.