Bangor Vet of the Month lived in Milo

Sonny Burton was born May 14, 1930, in Van Buren. He was the youngest child of Nellie Bourgoin and Ray Burton. He had two sisters and two brothers. He grew up in a French-speaking household in Milo.

After graduating from Milo High School, Sonny joined the Army at the age of 18. He was assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment, part of the 7th Infantry Division at Sendai, Japan. He was in the Chosin Reservoir, and took part in the advance to the Yalu River along with the 1st Marine Division.

Sonny Burton

He was in five major skirmishes. In one skirmish the entire squad in front of him were killed, and Sonny and his squad were pinned down for three days with no food. They eventually found an abandoned Marine Corps truck convoy and found cans of frozen chicken and fruit cocktail. They had to crawl everywhere they went to avoid being picked off by Chinese snipers.

Sonny recalls that he must have walked the length of Korea times two during his time there. He was one of only 250 soldiers to survive those battles and ended up with frostbite on his trigger finger that bothers him to this day.

In 1951, Sonny received orders to return to the U.S. and finished his career at Fort Devens, Mass., and West Point, N.Y. Upon his discharge, he returned to Milo, where he met his future wife, Diana Lyford, through a mutual friend. They have been married for 61 years, and Sonny playfully refers to her as “the boss.”

Sonny and Diana had three children, Randy Burton of Garland and Steve Burton of Ripley, along with a daughter who died in infancy. Sonny and Diana have four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He is a longtime member of the American Legion Post 41 in Milo.

Thank you, Sonny, for your service to our nation.

For more information about Maine Veterans’ Homes — including employment and volunteer opportunities — call 1 (800) 278-9494.