Romus Burgin
United States Marine and author (1922–2019)
title: "Romus Burgin" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1922-births", "2019-deaths", "people-from-jewett,-texas", "united-states-marine-corps-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "united-states-marines", "20th-century-american-memoirists", "writers-from-texas", "people-from-lancaster,-texas", "military-personnel-from-texas"] description: "United States Marine and author (1922–2019)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romus_Burgin" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary United States Marine and author (1922–2019) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox military person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Romus Valton Burgin |
| nickname | Burgie |
| image | RV Burgin.png |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Jewett, Texas, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Lancaster, Texas, U.S. |
| placeofburial | Rawlins Cemetery, Lancaster, Texas |
| placeofburial_label | Place of burial |
| allegiance | United States |
| branch | United States Marine Corps |
| serviceyears | 1942–1945 |
| rank | Sergeant |
| unit | K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division |
| battles | World War II |
| Battle of Cape Gloucester | |
| Battle of Peleliu | |
| Battle of Okinawa | |
| awards | Bronze Star Medal |
| Purple Heart | |
| spouse | |
| children | 4 |
| :: |
| name = Romus Valton Burgin | nickname = Burgie | image = RV Burgin.png | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Jewett, Texas, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Lancaster, Texas, U.S. | placeofburial = Rawlins Cemetery, Lancaster, Texas | placeofburial_label = Place of burial | allegiance = United States | branch = United States Marine Corps | serviceyears = 1942–1945 | rank = Sergeant | unit = K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division | battles = World War II Battle of Cape Gloucester Battle of Peleliu Battle of Okinawa | awards = Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart | spouse = | children = 4
Romus Valton "R. V." Burgin (August 13, 1922 – April 6, 2019) was a United States Marine and American author. As a young man, he served in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Burgin was the author of the memoir Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific (with William Marvel). Burgin is portrayed in the HBO miniseries The Pacific by Martin McCann. Burgin himself appears in documentary footage during the miniseries.
Early life and family
Burgin was born to Joseph Harmon Burgin and Beulah May (née Perry) Burgin in Jewett, Texas. He attended and graduated from Jewett High School in 1940 where he had been Captain of the football team.
Burgin's younger brother, Joseph ("Joe" or "J.D.") Delton (March 24, 1926 – February 17, 1945) joined the United States Army, after changing his year of birth from 1926 to 1925, and was sent to Europe, as a member of Company "C", 274th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division. Joseph died in Alsace-Lorraine on February 17, 1945, when he was killed by artillery fire near the river Saar and the town of Forbach, as they moved east toward Saarbrücken on the other side of the river, as part of a push against the Siegfried Line. He is buried at the Sardis Cemetery next to his parents.
Military career
Burgin joined the United States Marine Corps on November 13, 1942, during World War II and was assigned to the 9th Replacement Battalion. He soon became a mortarman in K-Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (K/3/5), Burgin was promoted to the rank of sergeant upon reaching Okinawa.
He was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of Okinawa on 2 May 1945, when he destroyed a Japanese machine gun emplacement that had his company pinned down. He also was going to be put in for a Silver Star by Captain Andrew "Ack-Ack" Haldane for taking out a pillbox on Peleliu, but Haldane was killed by sniper fire before he could submit it.
::data[format=table] | [[File:USMC Rifle Expert badge.png|106px]] | [[File:USMC Rifle Sharpshooter badge.png|106px]] | |---|---| ::
::data[format=table]
| 1st row | 2nd row | 3rd row |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze Star Medal with V Device | Purple Heart | Combat Action Ribbon |
| Navy Presidential Unit Citation with two Service stars | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal | American Campaign Medal |
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three Service stars | World War II Victory Medal | Navy Occupation Service Medal |
| United States Marine Corps Rifle Expert badge | United States Marine Corps Rifle Sharpshooter badge | |
| :: |
Personal life
In 1946, Burgin began working for the United States Post Office. He was employed there until his retirement in 1977. The couple had four daughters.
Burgin did not speak about the war, not even to his family, until he met other veterans and decided to author his book. Burgin then became a fixture at veterans events and was one of seven grand marshals in the 2015 Dallas Veterans Day Parade.
Burgin died on April 6, 2019, at the age of 96 in Lancaster, Texas, and is buried next to his wife at Rawlins Cemetery.
Bibliography
References
References
- (April 9, 2010). "Marine recounts brutal war in Pacific 'Islands': Former Marine R.V. Burgin writes about fighting in WWII". MSNBC Interactive – MSNBC.com.
- Burgin, R. V.. (2010). "Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific". NAL Caliber.
- [https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=225&cat=all&tf=F&q=Burgin&bc=&sort=24996%20desc&rpp=10&pg=19&rid=7364549&rlst=8581905,8527687,4515030,8578190,1548852,7088219,7268932,7364549,7470216,7231734 Burgin, Joe D; ASN: 38482046 ]. – Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 – 1946 (Enlistment Records). – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
- "274th Infantry Regiment Unit Rosters: COMPANY C". 70th Infantry Division Association.
- "274th Infantry Regiment". 70th Infantry Division Association.
- (1988). "US Seventh Army Report of Operations". Battery Press (c/o 70th Infantry Division Association).
- "Sardis Cemetery A-F – Leon County, Texas". USGenWeb Archives.
- (April 3, 2010). "Texan's Pacific war memoir used for HBO mini-series". [[Houston Chronicle]].
- (2010). "Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific". Penguin.
- Dunn, Si. (March 7, 2010). "Book review: 'Islands of the Damned' by RV Burgin". [[The Dallas Morning News]].
- Granberry, Michael. (March 14, 2010). "'The Pacific,' book spotlight Lancaster veteran's battle story". [[The Dallas Morning News]].
- (15 April 2019). "The Marine who helped inspire 'The Pacific' has died". [[The Dallas Morning News]].
- [https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/romus-burgin-obituary?pid=192128804 "Romus Valton Burgin Obituary"]
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