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<em>Sheldon John “Shelly” Burnett,</em> was born to Dr. and Mrs. Clarence H. Burnett in Milwaukee, WI, on Jun 9,1931. In 1946, the family moved to northern Wisconsin, where he enrolled in Eagle River High School. Shelly was a dedicated scholar and achieved Honor Roll status throughout all of his high school years. He was on the staff of the school newspaper and a cast mem­ber in two class plays. Living in the North Woods, he became involved with hunting and fishing and, spent many hours at tar­get practice with pistols and small and large bore rifles, and stayed qualified.</p>
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He entered West Point in 1950 with a Congressional Appointment and includ­ing was highly successful at everything he undertook, including academics. He continued his interest in the theatre with a three-year role in stage management for the venerable Dialectic Society.</p>
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While at West Point, he met his future wife, Maggie. They were one of the first couples to be married in the West Point Chapel immediately following gradua­tion in 1954. Four children followed: son Michael “Irish” Burnett (who served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps), daugh­ter Leigh Ann, son Steven, and daughter Patricia “Trish” Burnett. While they were growing up, the kids said he was truly a car­ing father but also a hard taskmaster deeply concerned with their education. “There is no sense in settling for a ‘B, when you can get an ‘A’ for a nickel’s more worth of ef­fort,” was one of his favorite expressions.</p>
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Shelly completed his Armor Officers Basic Course at Ft. Knox, KY, and Airborne training at Ft. Benning, GA. His first unit assignment was the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Meade, MD, (1955-59) in­ eluding his first overseas tour. His squadron was on its way to Europe at a time of tur­bulence, including the riots in Poland and Hungary and the second crisis over Berlin. The squadron returned to Ft. Meade, MD, in 1958. After the Armor Officers Advanced Course at Ft. Knox, he entered Georgia Tech to earn a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He then was assigned to Ft. Knox to serve on the Armor Board (1962­65), a test and evaluation group responsible for overseeing innovation and continuing excellence in Armor.</p>
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After graduating from the Command & General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, in 1966, Shelly went to Ft. Gordon, GA, for several months of jungle war­fare training, followed by language train­ing at the Presidio of Monterrey, CA. By December 1966, he was off to Vietnam as senior advisor to the 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment (ARVN), a unit that saw heavy action in the Vietnam delta. Among his decorations were the Vietnamese Armed Forces Honor Medal First Class and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze star.</p>
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Returning to a Pentagon assignment in December 1967, he served for two years in the office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, where he worked on such major Armor projects as the Ml Abrams Tank.</p>
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Now a lieutenant colonel, Shelly took command of the 2nd Squadron, 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Meade until he returned to Vietnam in September 1970 to replace the commander of the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL). During this Vietnam tour, he earned, among other decorations, the Purple Heart, two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal for Valor and the Combat Infantryman Badge.</p>
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On Mar 7, 1971, he flew out to join an element of his A Troop engaged in com­bat close to the Laotian border. The craft approached a smoke signal, which proved to be an ambush rather than the planned landing zone. The Scout helicopter was shot down over Laos, overturned, and Shelly was pinned under the wreckage, semiconscious. He was declared missing-in-action (MIA) for 34 years.</p>
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Shelly’s daughter, Trish explains how it was during those many years of separation:</p>
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“On Mar 11, 1971, my mother opened the door to a chaplain who advised us that my father was missing in action. Initially we were relieved that he wasn’t killed and there was still hope that he would return. The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into many, many years. Our family maintained hope, but it was surrounded with grief, despair and frustration. It’s not as simple as growing up without a father. It was more like having a ghost for a father. We maintained the hope that he would someday return and sought out the tiniest ray of light in the darkness."</p>
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“Finally, on Feb 2, 2005, 34 years later, we learned that my father’s remains had been found in a shallow grave, underneath a tree, only a few feet from the crash site. On Apr 13, 2005 he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.</p>
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“I cried for the father I never really knew. I cried for the years of life he never really had. But mostly I cried because I was proud of him...his commitment, his courage, and the ultimate sacrifice that he made. And he was home now, for good.”</p>
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Unfortunately, his son Steven and wife Maggie were unable to be a part of his homecoming. Steven suffered an acciden­tal death in August of 1973 at age 11, and Maggie died in October of 1998. Shelly had five grandchildren that he never had the op­portunity to meet.</p>
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<em>—-Jack Galvin '54 & family member</em></p>