Exeter History Tellers: Alva Andrew “Bill” Burkett

Researching the personal history of an individual is always a journey into a life. All

lives are filled with activity and engagement, and families play an important role in

these searches. Both engagement and family connections can be traced over time

through census records and newspaper accounts. This month, my goal was to learn as

much as I could about the life of Alva “Bill” Burkett, a young man raised in Exeter who

was killed at a young age in the Battle of Saipan in 1944. What aspects of Exeter life

shaped him during the late 1920s and the 1930s? His story will be featured during the

American Legion’s annual Memorial Day event on the morning of Monday, May 25, at

the Exeter Cemetery.

Alva Andrew “Bill” Burkett (October 14, 1920 – June 15, 1944)

Alva Andrew Burkett

Killed in Action, Saipan

Alva Andrew Burkett, known to family and friends as Bill, was born on October 14, 1920, in Fort Towson, Oklahoma. He was the oldest of three children born to Albert and Thelma Burkett. In the 1920s, the family moved to Exeter, California, where Albert worked on local farms.

Alva and his younger siblings—Eunice (EUHS Class of 1942) and Benny (EUHS Class of 1944)—attended Wilson School before continuing on to Exeter Union High School.

Even as a young student, Alva was active and engaged. In his early years, living on H Street just south of the Exeter Church of God, he would have been a regular at the community’s major events, including the first few Emperor Grape Festivals from 1931 to 1934. As an eleven-year-old, Bill would likely have participated in the first children’s parade, a highlight of the town’s coming together each fall. Like others of his generation, he was shaped by the economic hardships of the 1930s, learning to stay busy and make the most of what he had during those formative years.

As a seventh grader, he served on the school’s Safety Committee, played in the school

band, and participated in a drama production titled Melting Pot, a play celebrating

cultural diversity and assimilation in America. In that production, Alva portrayed a Jewish boy. He was among the 41 students—22 boys and 19 girls—who entered Exeter Union High School in 1935. His high school years coincided with the major expansion of the athletic facilities in 1937–38, when football and baseball fields and new bleachers were constructed. Exeter swelled with pride as these improvements, including a lighted football field, were touted as among the finest in the valley. Young Bill would have been an excited observer of these changes in his school and community.

Though modest in build at 5 feet 9 inches and 134 pounds, he played on the lightweight

football team and remained active in the school band. His musical talent on the trumpet

was recognized during his senior year when he was selected as one of eight Exeter High

students to perform in the All–Tulare County Honor Band concert at Mooney Grove.

By the time he graduated in 1939, his father had opened a shoe repair shop in Tulare.

Alva joined him in the business and, in his spare time, developed a passion for archery,

competing successfully in local tournaments.

In January 1941, Alva experienced the loss of a close high school football teammate and

was honored to serve as a pallbearer at his funeral. Just over a year later, on February

15, 1942—two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor—he registered for the draft and

soon entered the United States Marine Corps.

Alva was assigned to Company I of the 3rd Brigade, 6th Marine Division, and became

part of the island-hopping campaigns across the Pacific. He trained through 1942 and

early 1943 before being shipped to Hawaii and then into active combat.

During this time, in July 1943, his father Albert received long-overdue recognition for

his own military service in World War I—a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in

France in 1918 after being struck by shrapnel while advancing from a trench. It was a

moment of pride for the family, even as Alva faced the dangers of war overseas.

Alva saw action in some of the fiercest battles of the Pacific. He participated in the

Guadalcanal campaign and later in the assault on Tarawa in November 1943. After the

island was secured, Alva and several fellow Marines explored the battlefield. Crawling

into a Japanese machine gun pillbox, he discovered and helped capture five enemy

soldiers, returning them as prisoners.

During the height of the Tarawa battle, Alva demonstrated extraordinary bravery. When American tank fire began landing dangerously close to his own unit, his commander ordered him to intervene. Under heavy enemy fire, Alva ran approximately 150 yards toward the tanks. When shouting failed to get their attention, he struck their turrets with his rifle until they ceased fire, allowing his fellow Marines to move to safety. For this act of heroism, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz personally awarded Alva the Silver Star in March 1944.

Burkett in uniform

As the war intensified in 1944, Allied forces launched major offensives on both fronts. While the D-Day invasion unfolded in Europe in June, the Pacific campaign pressed forward. On June 15, 1944, U.S. forces invaded the island of Saipan. On that very first day of battle, Alva Burkett was killed by machine gun fire. The battle for Saipan would rage for nearly a month, ultimately securing a critical strategic position for the United States. More than 3,000 American servicemen lost their lives in the fighting, while over 25,000 Japanese soldiers were killed.

Like many who fell in battle, Alva was initially laid to rest in a military cemetery overseas. In December 1948—five and a half years after his death—his remains were returned home to Exeter. There, he was buried with full military honors. Today, he rests in Section 4 of the Exeter Cemetery, beside his parents, Albert and Thelma.

Alva Andrew Burkett gave his life in service to his country at the age of 23. His courage, sacrifice, and quiet determination remain a lasting part of Exeter’s history—and a powerful reminder of the cost of freedom.