Tech 4 Ernesto Guerro Burciaga
Ernesto Guerro Burciaga was born in Mexico on November 7, 1916. His family moved to the states and settled in Roswell NM where he worked as a construction laborer while attending school. He graduated from Roswell HS at the age of 21 in 1938 and enrolled at NMAMC the next fall to study Engineering. He would attend school for a couple of semesters and then withdraw to return home to work to gather funds to pay tuition. While back home in Roswell he worked with the artist Peter Hurd. When enrolled he played football for the Aggies, was active in ROTC and was a member of ASCE. In January 1942, immediately following the outbreak of the war, he enlisted in the US Army, volunteering for paratroop training. After completing his training he was assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, “The Screaming Eagles”. There is a story in the book “The Avenging Eagle” that recalls how on a practice jump Ernesto’s chute streamed. As he was falling to his death the chute entangled in a tall tree that then bent sideways to where his feet just touched the ground, saving his life. Other stories recount how he was the only catcher on the unit baseball team that could catch the hard throws by the pitchers.
In 1944 the unit deployed to England to prepare for the cross channel invasion and in the early morning hours of the 6th of June 1944, the 101st was the first unit to parachute into France. The 3rd Battalion, 502PIR fought with distinction including leading the only bayonet charge of the war in their attack on Carentan on June 9. The unit next took part in Operation Market Garden, the ill conceived airborne attack into the Netherlands in November 1944. Following that difficult battle, the unit found itself in reserve when in December 1944 the German counteroffensive began. The singular lynchpin in the ability to survive and win the Battle of the Bulge was the defense of Bastogne Belgium by the 101st Airborne. The town was surrounded and under attack for multiple Panzer and German Infantry Units for weeks. The 101st held on and won lasting honor.
On January 14, 1945 the 3rd Battalion under the command of Major Stopka was part of the breakout from Bastogne and had advanced just west of Bourcy, Belgium. Spotting German armor to the other side of a railroad rise, they called in for allied air support. A US P-47 aircraft mistook the battalion for German infantry and attacked, releasing a 500 pound bomb that scored a direct hit on the men killing many, including Tech 4 Ernesto Burciaga. The 101st would be relieved from the line 4 days later. Reports indicate that Tech 4 Burciaga died with a smile on his face. Miss Era Rentfrow was quoted in the student paper as stating “Ernesto was one of the finest boys we ever had on campus.”
Today, Tech 4 Ernesto Burciaga is buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. He was 27 years of age when he gave his life for his adopted land.