US Navy 2nd Class Seaman Cecil Durant Burleson was born in Okaloosa County, Florida in 1926, the son of William Rushin Burleson (1880-1962) and Fannie D. Mason (1888-1986). The family moved to Pensacola between in 1937 where William took a job as a watchman for a construction company. For most of his life he had been a farmer in Alabama until age caught up with him. By 1945, William and Fannie were living at 2119 North "U" Street with William working some labor jobs on the side.
In the meantime, their son Cecil Durant had dropped out of Tate High School in his junior year and enlisted in the US Navy in November 1943. He was sent off for processing and basic training before being selected for amphibious duty. Afterwards, he was sent to the training facility at Camp Bradford in Norfolk, Virginia where he underwent preliminary indoctrination on LST's. Originally designed to train Seabee's, Camp Bradford was converted in 1943 to training crews for duty on LSTs. Upon completion, he was sent to the New Orleans replacement base and received orders to report to LST-577 as of July 15, 1944. However, the muster log stated he was to transfer to LST-620 as soon as possible.
Embroiled in the battle for the Philippines, Cecil and his ship withdrew from the Leyte landings in the Philippines and sailed for Hollandia, New Guinea. There, they were to load up troops from the Army's 279th Replacement Company, 21st Replacement Depot as well as a group of Navy replacements. Once loaded, they set sail for the return trip back to the Philippines in a huge convoy guarded by grey, sleek destroyers. But they were soon sighted by the Japanese Submarine RO-50 who fired four torpedoes into the convoy. One of those deadly missiles hit the LST-577 amidships, tearing a huge hole in her side. The weight of the onrushing water together with that of their cargo broke the ship in half. Within seconds the stern half sunk underneath the waves taking Cecil and 165 other soldiers and sailors with it to the bottom. The bow section remained afloat and all of those aboard were rescued by the escort ships.
Cecil's body was never recovered, and lays at the bottom of the Pacific entombed in the stern half of LST-577. His parents received the dreaded telegram from the War Department at their home at 2119 North "U" Street informing them their son was missing in action. But the Navy, having witnessed the circumstances declared the missing as killed in action that same day.
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