by Don Richeson –
A ceremony marking the dedication of a roadside memorial in honor of Raymond W. Burrell Sr. of Deltaville is set for 11 a.m. Sunday, May 1, along General Puller Highway (Route 33) near Providence Road (Route 633) in the area of Deltaville Market (15738 General Puller Highway). Following the ceremony, there will be a private reception at the Deltaville Maritime Museum at 287 Jackson Creek Road in Deltaville. To attend the reception, you must RSVP by calling 804-695-4452.
Burrell, who was 100 years old when he died in 2019, was employed at the Newport News Shipyard and Drydock Company as a sheet metal fabricator until his retirement. Earlier though, he achieved distinction as a member of the “Black Panthers,” the first tank battalion comprised of African-Americans. The 761st Tank Battalion displayed great heroism fighting at the Battle of the Bulge in Europe during World War II.
The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors honored Burrell on Dec. 3, 2019 by naming Providence Road (Route 633) “The Raymond W. Burrell Sr. Memorial Highway” in his honor.
The resolution stated that Burrell “enlisted in the Army in December 1942 and served in the 761st Tank Battalion under General George S. Patton on D-Day at Omaha Beach, France, during the 183 days of front-line fighting with no injuries before returning to his home in Middlesex.”
He “lived a lifetime of devotion to his country, his family, his faith, and his community until his death at 100 years of age on Oct. 12, 2019.”
“The board of supervisors desires to honor and memorialize the memory of Raymond W. Burrell Sr. by designating State Route 633” in his name.
The resolution further stated that the request for this designation be forwarded to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for their concurrence and that the necessary markings for this designation be installed by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Earlier in 2019 on May 15 at the Deltaville Maritime Museum, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman presented Burrell with a proclamation that was written into the Congressional Record in Burrell’s honor.
The proclamation stated that on Dec. 16, 1944 three German armies (more than a quarter-million troops) launched an offensive at a lightly-defended section of the Allied line in Belgium. The five-week long Battle of the Bulge was the costliest World War II action for the U.S. Army, which suffered more than 100,000 casualties. Raymond Burrell Sr. was a survivor.
“Despite experiencing seemingly hopeless situations, Raymond Burrell persevered along with the other members of the 761st Tank Battalion and held their vital positions,” stated the proclamation.
The 761st Tank Battalion was a famous segregated battalion known as the “Black Panthers.” The battalion was the first all African-American tank battalion. The famous baseball star Jackie Robinson was in the battalion and at one point slept three bunks down from Burrell.
Burrell grew up in Middlesex County, attended Middlesex schools and has a number of surviving relatives in Middlesex County, especially in the Hardyville and Topping areas.
(Sentinel Reporter Larry Chowning contributed to this story.)
