James Burnes

James was born on the 14th of January 1870, in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is unknown what brought him to the west coast where he enlisted in the US Marine Corps on the 9th of June 1898. Not long after his enlistment began, he was deployed to China in support of the Boxer Rebellion, where his actions earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

In action against the enemy at Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900. Crossing the river in a small boat with three other men while under a heavy fire from the enemy, Burnes assisted in destroying buildings occupied by hostile forces.

Unfortunately, this is where the information for James’ life ends, other than knowing that he was discharged for bad conduct in March of 1905. James Burnes is one of 314 Medal of Honor recipients to be lost to history, with no information known about his death or final resting place.