James M. Burt

Who was James M. Burt?

James Montross Burt was a United States Army armor officer who received the Medal of Honor for his valor in the Battle of Aachen during World War II.

Burt was born in England and graduated from Norwich University in 1939 where he was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. The Norwich Corps of Cadets is known historically as a source of cavalry officers and Burt was commissioned as an armor officer - then the new mechanized form of cavalry. He entered active service in 1941 and was assigned to the 66th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Division at Fort Benning, Georgia. He served in North Africa, Sicily, and Northern Europe. Promoted to captain, Burt commanded Company B, 66th Armor in near continuous combat from the day the unit landed at the Normandy beachhead in June 1944 through the end of the war.