War comes calling – three times

In World War II, Burks flew 40 missions as a ball turret gunner in a B-24 bomber. Then in Korea, he was a communications officer and artillery battery commander. In Vietnam, Burks served as a deputy corps artillery commander.

There was that night in World War II when Burks never got to see the second reel of “Saratoga Trunk,” starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. Instead the crew loaded bombs and took off from “North Field on Guam” headed “to Iwo.”

In his book, “A Fair Share of War,” the Pauls Valley resident wrote that more than four hours later they were on their bomb run, “caught in the search lights from Japanese anti-aircraft units below and damaged by flak from the accurately placed ground fire.” During the Oklahoma Honor Flights, Burks expounded on that night.

“Through the entire flight, there were the realities of being so isolated at high altitude and one engine out and another one not too healthy out of the four,” Burks said. “It was meaningful to me to see how effectively our ‘Lucky Dog’ crew worked together to get us back. I mean everybody, the pilot, the co-pilot, the engineer, the assistant engineer, everybody was doing the best they could under the circumstances and I appreciate it very much.”

Eventually, the crew got one of the two failed engines working again and they made it back.

Did you ever see the end of “Saratoga Trunk?”

“No, I’m a little superstitious,” he said with a laugh. “My daughter bought me the tape years ago and I’ve never played it because of that fateful mission when I didn’t get to see the end of the movie.”