Page 36 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine
P. 36
Burle Pettit Damn Good
Newspaperman
by Jane Bromley
for a living. He was killed in action just six
graduated from days before the armistice was
Moran High signed. His oldest brother had
School in 1952 served in Okinawa. Burle was
and received only 11 when another brother
a football Jack, his “hero”, was killed in
scholarship. He the Battle of Peleliu, one of the
isn’t proud of the bitterest battles of the war in
fact that he threw the Pacific. His brother, who
it away. He was was just older than he, was
the first of his already serving as well.
family to have the
opportunity to
go to college, but
his buddies who
had gotten jobs
were buying cars
and having fun.
t was a helluva ride …” The To his family’s
final words of Burle Pettit’s dismay, he left school to earn
Ifarewell column summed big money by roughnecking
up his long and storied career near Odessa and, later,
with The Lubbock Avalanche working in highway
Journal. Assisted by his construction. Burle served above the Arctic
talented dog, Schnopper, he Circle for 13 months. His
was known and loved for Not long after, fate smiled unit consisted of a small
his unique perspective on on him when he met and outfit of combat engineers
life and his brilliance as a fell for Frances Hill, a pretty who maintained radar
wordsmith. His columns were “little red-haired girl”. She stations across Alaska. The
reader favorites for decades, agreed to marry him on two operation, known as the DEW
often focusing on opinions he conditions: 1. He would go line (Distant Early Warning
held, observations he made, back to college. 2. He would System), was developed to
or glimpses of his formative join her church. He agreed, monitor air attacks. The nights
years in Moran, Texas. “I and the couple eloped. Aware were long, the cold was bitter,
could write about whatever that North Texas had an elite and the men were a long way
I wanted.” The 85-year-old journalism college, he knew from home. (One of Burle’s
Editor Emeritus was kind he was on the right track. more memorable articles
enough to give Senior Link The plan was interrupted for a describes how the picture of
the opportunity to provide time when Uncle Sam called, his three-year-old nephew
readers and fans a panoramic but Burle didn’t hesitate to Rick made getting out of bed a
view of the history of the man answer. The Korean War little more bearable.) He made
behind the byline. was winding down, but lasting friendships during
his 24-month military career.
Burle was born in 1934, the patriotism ran deep in the “You tend to bind quickly
youngest of seven children. Pettit bloodline. His father and when you are all homesick.”
Even as a child, he loved to uncle Ernest had both served He also vividly remembers his
st
write; his dream was to write in WWI in France. His dad 21 birthday. He was aboard a
was wounded, and his uncle ship, and he asked an officer if
36 Lubbock Senior Link
