USN To 16 y/o USN Veteran Present At D-Day and Operation Dragoon

[Busters_Militaria]

A rather rare, and interesting grouping for you all today...this grouping resides around the young man in the group photo top row in the middle. Mr Ferris Creamer Burke was born on September 16th 1927 and enlisted 1943 (July I believe). If you do the math, young Ferris was certainly under the minimum age of service, he was 15. Yet by going to the draft board he was able to sneak his way into the USN where much of his family were already serving. Fast forwarding to June 6th 1944, a now 16 year old Ferris found himself present at D-Day attached to LST-285 at Omaha Beach. Ferris and the men around him were instrumental in the rescue of so many men from the beaches who were critically wounded, so many were saved by the brave men operating the LCVPS. Ferris recounted that on that day he was throwing amputated limbs overboard, what a horrible sight it must’ve been. For some time the men of LST-285 were part of the 2nd Beach Battalion. That was until of course Operation Dragoon had come along. Again the young men of LST-285 were involved in the invasion of France for a second time only this time from the South. I will let Ferris’s citation for his Navy Commendation Ribbon do the talking for what had occurred. At 16 I cannot imagine undertaking what Ferris had, it is truly remarkable there were such men like him. Following this Ferris and the men of LST-285 were sent off to the pacific, I’m still researching this part of his service so any help would be amazing! This is where the pictures are from, as seen here, the men of LST-285 were incredibly young, they all loved to have fun, and muck around, not so much different today, they were just experiencing life under completely different circumstances! There are some absolutely wonderful photos in this collection, I hope you all enjoy! I’m so glad that I’ve been able to honour Ferris and the men of LST-285, it has been so special! Also see attached is some extracts of the books Ferris was involved in Stephen Ambrose’s “D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II” and Stephen Sussna’s “Defeat and Triumph: The Story of a Controversial Allied Invasion and French Rebirth”. Along with this is Ferris’s obituary, he passed away in 2007 at 79 years of age. Well, that is this post done, another story shared, to Ferris Burke, and the brave men of LST-285, we thank you...

 

 

[Busters_Militaria]

Mr Burke's Citation

 

Obituary

 

Stephen Ambrose Book Extract

[USMilitaria]

Well worded Tom! Amazing group.

 

-Noah

[huntssurplus]

Really cool and interesting grouping! Thanks for sharing!

Hunt

[aerialbridge]

A 16 year old earning the Navy Commendation at Omaha Beach, and enduring duty that 99.9% of 16 year olds will thankfully never see or imagine, even in their most graphic video games today. RIP Sailor.

[Stretchman89]

Unreal how young some of these were during WW II. A friend has an engrave USMC purple heart to a 16 year old who was killed on Saipan. Tragic yet heroic.