David Burr Jr.

David Burr Jr. was born on 19th February 1921 in Kirkland, Washington, to David Burr Sr. and Gladys Burr (nee. Simmons). He was the oldest of David and Gladys’ four children and their only son. His younger sisters: Martha, Margaret, and Mary, were born in 1925, 1928, and 1930, respectively. All four of the Burr children were born and raised in Kirkland where David Sr. worked as a manager at Lake Washington Telephone company. David Sr. had previously served in the first World War in the Naval Reserves and had met and married Gladys in 1917. David Jr. attended Lake Washington High School between 1936 and 1940. Here, he met his sweetheart and future wife Elizabeth (Betty) Shinstrom. Betty was one year ahead of David at school and the two likely met through their shared interest in the music department, referred to colloquially as “Swing School.” In his sophomore year, David was active member of his class community serving as the Sophomore Class Secretary as well as playing in the school band and the men’s Glee Club. Betty served in the women’s Glee Club and played for the school Orchestra. She also helped to grow the school’s Commercial Club which sought to “stimulate interest in the commercial department,” during its inaugural year in 1938. 

Graduating Lake Washington Highschool in 1940, David Jr. began studying at Washington State College in 1941. At WSC, David pledged the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and threw himself into the study of electrical engineers joining both the WSC Associated Engineers Group and the American Society of Electrical Engineers. In a letter from David’s father, send to President Holland after his death, David Sr. stated that he also played in the Washington State College Military Band. David registered for enlistment in the middle of his sophomore year at WSC and on July 30th, at the conclusion of that year David left school to follow in his father’s footsteps and enlist in the United States Naval Reserves.

Within the United States Navy, David served as an Aviation Electricians mate, third class, achieving the rank of ensign before his death. It is unknown where David completed his basic training, however, David began his aviation training at Sandpoint Aviation Field in Bonner County, Idaho and to complete his aviation training he was sent to Naval Air Station Pasco, in Eastern Washington near the end of 1942. At Naval Air Station Pasco, David trained at Vista Field, in Kennewick which served as an auxiliary airfield to the wide base. On July 2nd of the same year, shortly before enlisting, David married Betty Shinstrom, his childhood sweetheart. They were married in Kirkland, where both their families still resided. David’s friend, and Betty’s sister served as witnesses. Betty would have been studying Latin at Whitmore College at the time.  On October 26th, 1942, a test flight that David was working on crashed over Franklin County. In the plane were David, who at the time was only 21 years old, and an aviation cadet: Donald R. Freeman, also 21. The plane downed while returning from a routine flight and after investigation no personnel fault was listed, which likely meant that the crash was caused by mechanical failure. A letter sent from David’s commanding officer to Elizabeth after the investigation into the crash revealed that David had volunteered to take part in a training formation flight piloted by cadets. David’s plane was witnessed concluding maneuvers and then rapidly descending in a tailspin. The letter informed Elizabeth that while David did attempt to jump from the plane, his parachute did not have time to open. It is likely that David died on impact. 

Despite little information remaining about David’s service or time at WSU, David’s family guarded his memory carefully after his death. David, known as “Bud” by family and friends appeared in Betty’s obituary after her death in 2008. Betty played an important role in facilitating the passing of information about David’s service and death to his nuclear family and to Washington State College at the conclusion of WWII. David’s father also made an effort to share David’s story with President Holland, after Holland’s remembrance project was begun. David Sr., in particular, spoke to Bud’s enjoyment of WSC and interest in engineering and aviation.