CAPTAIN JAMES H. BURPO, USN (RET.)

Memorial service for Captain James H. Burpo, USN (Ret.) will be held on Friday, August 23rd, 9:30 a.m., Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church with The Rev. John Borrego officiating.

Captain Burpo died at Southwestern Medical Center on Monday, August 5, 2019.

Burial with military honors will be at the Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

He was born April 19, 1934 near Ringwood, Oklahoma, son of H.W. and Mattie Sublette Burpo. He graduated from Ringwood High School in 1952 as valedictorian and as a three year letterman in baseball. He graduated from Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma in 1956 majoring in History and Political Science. Entering the US Navy under the OCS program, he was commissioned an Ensign in December 1956.

Captain Burpo served on numerous destroyers and amphibious ships including USS Evans, USS Haywood, USS Howell, and command of USS Washtenaw County and USS Ft. Snelling. His final tour was as Commodore of Naval Beach Group Two. His shore commands included a Naval Advisory Unit and Senior Member of the Board of Inspection and Survey, Atlantic.

Deployed to Vietnam in 1965, he was involved in that war for the next five years in a variety of duties including advisor to Vietnamese Junk Force and Biet Hai units, Naval shore bombardment, Mobile Riverine Force, and Commander Seventh Fleet staff duty. Seventeen campaign stars were awarded with the Vietnamese Service Ribbon. Captain Burpo was awarded eleven of these.

He was also deployed during the Quemoy/Matsu crises in 1958/59, participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and was the senior officer on the beach for the evacuation from Beirut, Lebanon in 1976. As Commodore of Naval Beach Group he and various units of his commands participated in Grenada and Beirut operations in 1982/83.

After retiring from Naval service, Captain Burpo retired to Lawton, Oklahoma. He was active in numerous civic affairs, he held positions in the Comanche County Republican Party, served on the boards of the Lawton Public Library, Armed Forces YMCA, Arts for All, Chimney Creek Homeowners Association, and on the board of the Lawton Country Club for five years, the last two as president.

An avid golfer, he belonged to both the Lawton Country Club and the Ft. Sill Golf Club. Captain Burpo had four holes in one during his life, all coming after he moved to Lawton.

His military's awards include: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (2) both with Combat V, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (3) two with Combat V, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation (2), Navy Unit Citation (2), Meritorious Unit Citation (3), and numerous campaign, theater, and service medals.

Captain Burpo was a member of the Naval Institute, Navy League, Veterans of Foreign Wars (Life Member), The Tin Can Sailors, Mobile Riverine Association, MOWW (Life Member), MOAA, and various national and civic organizations.

Survivors include: his wife, Sue Dunnington Burpo; two sons, CDR John D. Burpo, USN (Ret.) and wife Eileen of Springfield, VA, and James E. Burpo of Arlington, VA, and three grandchildren, Ann-Marie Burpo, Ian Burpo (Leslie), and Megan Burpo.

Other survivors include: Kristan & Dale Hruby and their children Nathaniel Hruby and Nicholas Hruby; Jennifer and Shon Erwin and their children Dylan Erwin (Leslie) and Hayley Erwin; Pamela and Jay Davis and their children Allison Davis and Grant Davis; a nephew, Rick Fitzgerald (Connie), two nieces , Roxanne Fitzgerald, and Carolyn Mills, and numerous grand nephews and nieces.

Captain Burpo was predeceased by his parents, his sister Claire Fitzgerald; two nephews, Bruce Mills and Lee Mills; and a niece, Susan Henderson.

Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, should be made to the Friends of the Lawton Public Library, 110 SW 4th St. Lawton, OK 73501, or the Salvation Army, 1306 SW "E" Avenue, Lawton, OK 73501.