Kenneth Burns - Abilene, TX
N 32° 28.544 W 099° 44.073
14S E 430976 N 3593405
A plaque under the barrel of the US 3.2" Model 1883-1897 Field Gun in the triangle honors the memory of Kenneth Burns, a Simmons College student who was killed in World War I. Simmons College is now Hardin-Simmons University.
Waymark Code: WM12BE4
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/19/2020
Views: 2
The plaque is mounted under the barrel, and it reads:
In Memoriam
Kenneth Burns
"Arizona Bill"
Simmons College
Killed in Action
World War I
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While time has faded the memory of Kenneth Burns, the cannon itself is still called "Arizona Bill", which was his nickname. Corporal Burns served in the United States Army in the 2nd Field Signal Battalion, 1st Division. He had distinguished himself in March of 1918 by crawling into No Man's Land to inspect questionable wires and retrieve important intelligence from the bodies of two dead German soldiers, and was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery; there is no indication as to whether he was promoted to sergeant in his lifetime. His listing on the American Battle Monuments Commission notes that as his rank, and that he died on July 18, 1918. His final resting place is the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in France.
Website pertaining to the memorial: [Web Link]
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Entrance fees (if it applies): None
Type of memorial: Plaque
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