Allen M. Burdett, Jr.

Allen Mitchell Burdett, Jr. (25 August 1921 - 8 July 1980) was an American retired United States Army Lieutenant General.

Early life
Allen was born in Washington, D.C. on August 25, 1921 to Allen Sr. and Margaret Burdett. He also had a brother (Lucien). He graduated from Western High School in Washington, DC, in 1939.

Education

 * 1943: Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy
 * 1951: Graduate Infantry School
 * 1953: Command and General Staff College
 * 1955: Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
 * 1959: Army War College
 * 1965: Master of Arts, George Washington University

Dates of rank

 * June 1, 1943: Second Lieutenant
 * December 1, 1943: First Lieutenant
 * September 1, 1959: Colonel
 * January 2, 1964: Lieutenant Colonel
 * October 22, 1966: Brigadier General
 * 1973: Lieutenant General

Assignments

 * 1940 - 1943: Attended the United States Military Academy, graduated on June 1, 1943
 * 1943 - 1947: Served in World War II with the 255th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division, commissioned (ASN: O-26048), reached the rank of Captain
 * 1947 - 1950: Assistant professor military science and tactics at Georgia Institute Technology
 * 1950 - 1952: S3 and Battalion Executive Officer, 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team
 * 1953 - 1954: Infantry Battalion Commander, Regimental Executive Officer, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division
 * 1954: G1 and G2, 7th Infantry Division
 * 1955 - 1958: Army Representative Office of the Commandant of the United States Air Force Academy
 * 1960 - 1962: Director of the Combat Devels and worked in the office of the deputy assistant commandant of the Army Aviation School
 * 1962 - 1965: Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of the Army
 * 1965 - 1966: Commanding Officer of the 11th Aviation Group, 1st Cavalry Division
 * 1966 - 1968: Military assistant Office Director in the Office of Defense, Research and Engineering
 * 1968 - 1969: Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division
 * 1969 - 1970: Commanding general of the 1st Aviation Brigade
 * 1970: Director of Army Aviation, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development, Department of the Army
 * 1970 - 1973: Commanding general of the United States Army Aviation Center and commandant of the United States Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Alabama
 * 1973 - 1975: Commanding general of III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas
 * 1975 - 1978: Commanding general of the 5th United States Army, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
 * 1978: Retired from military service on June 30, 1978 with the rank of Lieutenant General.

Personal life
He married Antoinette Salley and together they had four children.

Death
At the age of 58, he died of cancer on 8 July 1980 in San Antonio, Texas after a two-month illness. He was buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

Awards & decorations

 * Army Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
 * Silver Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
 * Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster
 * Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster
 * Bronze Star Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
 * Air Medal with 24 oak leaf clusters
 * Army Commendation Medal
 * Air Force Commendation Medal
 * Purple Heart
 * National Order of Vietnam 5th Class
 * Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm

In 1980 he was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.