H.R. No. 638
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever treasure their
memories of decorated World War II veteran Harvey Kenneth Burrow,
who died on January 12, 2004, at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, Harvey Burrow was born in Knox County on May 17,
1917, to Hiram and Vera Burrow; the son of sharecroppers, he learned
the value of hard work at an early age, and on his 21st birthday in
1938, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a member of the army's
first parachute unit, the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion; he
went on to serve in Company C of the elite 551st Parachute Infantry
Battalion, an independent unit of 800 men that was assigned
wherever it was most needed; and
WHEREAS, In August 1944, Paratrooper Burrow and the 551st
participated in the Allied invasion of southern France, where they
freed Draguignan against heavy resistance, captured a German major
general, and liberated the city of Nice; during the fighting, he
earned the nickname "Mule" when he retrieved supplies from a pack
mule that had been killed by enemy fire and carried them himself up
a hill to relieve another unit; and
WHEREAS, Following several months in the Alps, the 551st took
part in the Battle of the Bulge, where Mr. Burrow, now a sergeant,
endured bitter cold and took part in brutal hand-to-hand combat,
helping to drive the Germans back at Noirefontaine, Herispehe,
Dairomont, and Quartiers; he evaded capture at one point by hiding
in a freezing river and breathing through a reed, and when army
doctors wanted to amputate his frozen legs, he held them at bay with
an unloaded pistol and massaged his legs until the circulation was
restored; on January 7, 1945, the 551st took the city of
Rochelinval, but by now, the unit had lost 85 percent of its men,
with only 14 officers and 96 troops remaining; and
WHEREAS, After a month in the hospital, Sergeant Burrow was
assigned to the 508th Parachute Infantry Battalion of the 82nd
Airborne Division, and he took part in the advance across the Elbe
River, where the 82nd Airborne accepted the surrender of the German
21st Army on May 2, 1945; discharged later that year, he continued
to serve in the Texas National Guard; and
WHEREAS, This intrepid Texan was awarded two Bronze Stars,
four Purple Hearts, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign
Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the
Combat Infantryman Badge; the 551st was recognized with a
Presidential Unit Citation for its efforts at the Battle of the
Bulge and with the Croix de Guerre from the French government for
its valor at Draguignan; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Burrow lived for many years in
Premont, where he worked for the Sun Oil Company until his
retirement in 1984; he and his wife, Martha, shared a rewarding
marriage that spanned 50 years, and he was the proud father of four
children, Kenny, Carolyn, Debra, and Tammy; and
WHEREAS, During the greatest conflict of the 20th century,
Harvey Burrow exemplified the highest ideals of the U.S. armed
forces, conducting himself with fortitude, tenacity, and courage
during some of the fiercest fighting of the war, and he leaves
behind a record of service to his country that will continue to
inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Harvey Kenneth Burrow
for his heroic efforts on behalf of this nation during World War II;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Harvey
Burrow.
Harris of Anderson
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 638 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 30, 2023.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House