Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of John Curtis Burden, a brave U.S. Navy Hospitalman who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1967 during the Vietnam War. He was just 19 years old.
A resident of Madisonville, Kentucky, Burden served with unwavering commitment with Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force.
At the time of his death, Burden was deployed in the Quang Tin Province of South Vietnam. His body was recovered, and his memory has been preserved with honor ever since.
Burden’s service exemplified the courage and devotion of a U.S. Navy Sailor who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end. His service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel 25E, Line 4, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
To learn more about Burden and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.
If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to Burden or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.
