Image: Framingham History Center (FHC)
Charles Edward Burkis was born in Lithuania on 14 December 1892. At the time, Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire. In the Spring of 1908, his family migrated to the United States. Their earliest Framingham address was Irving Street. His formal education peaked in the 8th grade. Local records next show him employed at R.H. Long Company as a shoemaker.
Charles enlisted in the Army on 16 June 1917. He was assigned to Company A of the 9th Infantry Regiment. The 9th was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).
9th Infantry Regimental Crest
Image: https://manchu.org/linage/coat/ (web page of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Association
Note: The Indian Head at the top of the crest is the patch of the US Army 2nd Infantry Division.
After initial training, which included a stop at Framingham’s Camp Whitney, the division loaded aboard the troop ship USS POCAHONTAS and headed for France. The ship arrived in St. Nazaire, France on or about 17 September 1917.
Troop Ship USS POCAHONTAS
Image: US Naval Historical Center/Public Domain
The 2nd Infantry Division participated in some of the most iconic and bloody battles of 1917/1918, including Château-Thierry, the Aisne-Marne (Soissons), St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne Offensives.
Of note, Major General John A. Lejeune, USMC, took command of the 2nd Infantry Division on 28 July 1918. He was the first Marine to command an Army Division. He remained in that position until 15 July 1919. He would later become the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Today, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is in North Carolina.
Major General John A. Lejeune, USMC
(note 2nd ID patch)
Image: Wikipedia
On 12 September 1918, Private First Class Charles Burkis was severely wounded in action (SWA). This was the first day of the St. Mihiel Offensive. In addition to shrapnel wounds he also fell victim to a German poison gas attack. As a result of these wounds, he would lose an eye.
US Army WWI Wound Chevron
Image: Public Domain
Wounded US soldiers were authorized to wear Wound Chevrons on the lower right cuff of their uniforms. These “badges of honor” denoted wounds which were received in combat against an enemy force or hospitalization following a gassing. Additional stripes were added for subsequent wounds. In 1932, with the creation of the Purple Heart Medal, Wound Chevrons were no longer awarded. Directives from the War and Navy Departments allowed WWI Veterans soldiers to exchange their Wound Chevrons for the new Purple Heart.
Purple Heart Medal
Image: Public Domain
Based on the severity of his 12 September wounds, it is likely Charles spent a significant amount of time in military hospitals in France following his wounding.The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the final Allied offensive of World War I. It was fought from 26 September until 11 November 1918 when the Armistice was signed. The 2nd Division sustained some of the heaviest losses of any American unit during World War I, reporting a total of 5,155 battle deaths (including those who died of wounds) and 18,080 wounded over the course of the conflict. (Source: American Armies and Battlefields in Europe)
On 03 January 1919, Charles departed France aboard the troop ship SIBONEY.
USS SIBONEY in New York Harbor with its decks crowded with troops returning from France
Image: US Naval Historical Center/Public Domain
Charles was discharged from the Army on 15 January 1919. He moved back into the family's home on Cochituate Road and returned to his shoe making position at R.H. Long. In 1919, he married Miss Anne Keaney (from Galway, Ireland). Eventually, he gained employment with the Town of Framingham Park Department, where he would retire as a foreman. His obituary indicates he was considered a local expert in landscaping and care,and maintenance of grass shrubs and trees. He was also hired to do garden work for local banks and large homes.
Charles and Anne would have eight children, three boys and five girls. He became a Naturalized US Citizen in 1931. Anne died in 1958. Charles passed away on 24 June 1965 after spending a year as a patient at Cushing Hospital. His final resting place is Saint Stephen’s Cemetery in Framingham.
Of note, son Charles J. Burkis (1922-1983) served 36 years with the Framingham Police Department. He was a true “beat Cop” having spent most of his career patrolling the downtown area, not far from his Evrit Ave home. He was known to have practiced “community-centered policing” well before it became integral to modern policing efforts.
Image: Framingham Police Department Commemorative History Book
In 1985, in recognition of his service and significant community impact, Framingham named the square at the intersection of Concord, Irving and Hollis Streets the “Charles J. Burkis, Jr. Square.”
Burkis Square Plaque
Image: Author
Sources
Ancestry.com
American Armies and Battlefields in Europe: A History, Guide, and Reference Book. Prepared under the direction of General John J. Pershing. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1938.
Ayres, Leonard P. The War with Germany: A Statistical Summary. 2nd Edition. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1919.
Carter, Donald A. St. Mihiel, 12–16 September 1918. CMH Pub 77-7. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army, 2018.
The Framingham History Center
Framingham Police Department. Framingham Police Department, 1871-1994: Commemorative History Book. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1994.
General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces. General Orders, GHQ, AEF. Vol. 16 of United States Army in the World War, 1917-1919. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army, 1992.
Herring, Stephen W. Framingham: An American Town. Framingham: The Framingham Historical Society and The Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.
Massachusetts National Guard, Historical Services Directorate
The National Archives
National Museum of the United States Army
The National WWI Museum and Memorial
Pershing, John J. My Experiences in the World War. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1931.
Putnam, Eben (Compiler and Editor). Report of the Commission on Massachusetts' Part in the World War: History. Vol. 1. Boston: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1931.
Spaulding, Oliver Lyman. The Second Division, American Expeditionary Force in France, 1917-1919. New York: Historical Committee, Second Division Association, Hillman Press, Inc., 1937.
United States Army Center of Military History. The U.S. Army in the World War I Era. CMH Pub 77-2. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army, 2017.
US Naval Historical Center
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