Romus Valton Burgin is a U.S. Marine and American author. Burgin was born to Joseph Harmon Burgin and Beulah May Burgin in Jewett, Texas. During World War II he joined the United States Marine Corps on November 13, 1942 and was assigned to the 9th Replacement Battalion. He soon became a mortar-man in K-Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, and fought in the Pacific War at Cape Gloucester, then alongside his friend, Eugene Sledge, on Peleliu, and Okinawa. Burgin was promoted to the rank of sergeant upon reaching Okinawa. Burgin is the author of the memoir Islands of the Damned. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of Okinawa on 2 May 1945, when he destroyed a Japanese Machine Gun emplacement that had his company pinned down. He also was going to be awarded a Silver Star by Captain Haldane for taking out a pillbox on Peleliu, but Haldane was killed by sniper fire before he could submit it. Burgin was wounded on 20 May and received a Purple Heart. He returned to his company after spending 20 days in a field hospital and remained with them for the duration of the battle. 

August 13th, 1922 in Jewett  /  Died:   Apr 6th, 2019 - aged 96