Grandpa Burns was a playful, thoughtful, and warm person. He was the father of eleven children and over 100 grandchildren, each of whom he made feel as though they were the most important person in the world. I was his eldest grandchild, who he called Katydid. He taught me to bake this “Ginger Snap” recipe when I was about five. Ginger Snaps were a specialty for Grandpa Burns. He brought hundreds of them to all of our family gatherings.
According to an extensive review of our family genealogy, we know Grandpa Burns was of English ancestry. His fifth great-grandfather, Thomas Burns, was born in 1675 in Englingham, Northumberland, England and Thomas' son, Robert, came to America in the early 1700’s. If one reads way back in the tea leaves, one finds that we are also related to England’s King Edward III and Antigone Plantagenet.
Grandpa, (Don) Burns, lived most of his life in Webster, South Dakota. After his twin brother, Ron, was drafted in World War II, Don enlisted in the Navy as well. He became a U.S. Navy sailor who played a direct role in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach during World War II. Don served on an LCT (Landing Craft Tank) vessel that transported troops, vehicles, and supplies during the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. His ship supported the U.S. 1st Infantry Division by landing soldiers under intense fire and navigating dangerous waters filled with mines and underwater obstacles. Grandpa described the invasion as chaotic and terrifying, with heavy casualties and constant enemy attack.
After the initial landings, Don and his LCT crew made multiple supply runs from England to Normandy. They remained
in France for six months without pay, proper supplies, or medical support, helping transport troops and cargo until reassigned. Grandpa often told of eating nothing but raw beets during this time, and he refused to eat beets for the rest of his life. Later, Burns served on the USS Renate (Pronounced Ren-nay), ferrying Marines in preparation for the invasion of Japan, and he witnessed the war’s end after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His first grandchild, Katie, has the middle name, Renae. The photo to the right shows Don's ship, the USS Renate (AKA-36) anchored outside Sasebo, Japan in September 1945. He would have been on board when this was taken! While in n Japan unloading troops and sup-plies, Don found his twin brother walking along the pier: The last Don had heard, Ron was in Australia! "That was the first time I'd seen him in two years," Burns said. "I had to travel halfway around the world to see my brother."
Following the war, Burns returned to Day County, South Dakota, where he worked for the U.S. Postal Service and raised a family of 11 children. Known for his humility, he insisted the true heroes were the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division who stormed the beaches. Burns reflected that World War II was life-changing and believed the people of his hometown would be proud of his service.
