RUPERT M. BURSTAN, CAPT, USMC
Rupert Burstan '15
Lucky Bag
From the 1915 Lucky Bag:
Rupert Mandell Burstan
Middletown, Delaware
"Burry"
TO those of us who think we have a harder time or worse luck than our classmates, this career is an indisputable contradiction. Who of us, with 328 demerits and a 2.3 in Math, in those cold days of February, Plebe year, would not have taken a sudden interest in spring fashions and set about considering the ways and means for setting a great circle course for home? But Burstan "hung around" until that famous "river ferry" order of the Secnav's came out, and some kind of a mix-up in the records lost him a few of his embarrassingly numerous demerits. Since then he has been unsat a dozen times, he has been mauled by the depantograph, he has roosted high in many a tree. Does he rhino? Not a bit! he just grins and keeps on working—in that narrow room down the corridor where the lights burn all night long.
Of the many and various demerits he has in his collection, the most entertaining were those gained by a little hard luck when returning from a surreptitious evening in the city of Annapolis during those aforesaid cold days of Plebe year. When he came over the wall, he all but landed in the arms of one of the several M. C.'s posted that bright moonlit night at promising points along the wall. Zip!—Burry was off! Zing!—the M. C. was no slouch at foot-work! And round and round went the merry chase in the Superintendent's garden, until a treacherous line grabbed Burry by the chin and threw him down after a spectacular flight. 100 demerits—because he didn't know where the gate was!
"Well, Mr. Burstan! Who's Charley Noble?"
"Why—er—ah—he's one of my classmates, sir!"
Rupert Mandell Burstan
Middletown, Delaware
"Burry"
TO those of us who think we have a harder time or worse luck than our classmates, this career is an indisputable contradiction. Who of us, with 328 demerits and a 2.3 in Math, in those cold days of February, Plebe year, would not have taken a sudden interest in spring fashions and set about considering the ways and means for setting a great circle course for home? But Burstan "hung around" until that famous "river ferry" order of the Secnav's came out, and some kind of a mix-up in the records lost him a few of his embarrassingly numerous demerits. Since then he has been unsat a dozen times, he has been mauled by the depantograph, he has roosted high in many a tree. Does he rhino? Not a bit! he just grins and keeps on working—in that narrow room down the corridor where the lights burn all night long.
Of the many and various demerits he has in his collection, the most entertaining were those gained by a little hard luck when returning from a surreptitious evening in the city of Annapolis during those aforesaid cold days of Plebe year. When he came over the wall, he all but landed in the arms of one of the several M. C.'s posted that bright moonlit night at promising points along the wall. Zip!—Burry was off! Zing!—the M. C. was no slouch at foot-work! And round and round went the merry chase in the Superintendent's garden, until a treacherous line grabbed Burry by the chin and threw him down after a spectacular flight. 100 demerits—because he didn't know where the gate was!
"Well, Mr. Burstan! Who's Charley Noble?"
"Why—er—ah—he's one of my classmates, sir!"
Loss
Rupert was lost on September 19, 1918 when he died of pneumonia in a hospital in France. He was "in command of a force of 1,100 fighting Marines."
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
His father was Solomon who co-owned Fogel & Burstan’s Department Store. Mother was Sarah. Brothers were Lt. Samuel, Lt (and Dr.) Jacob – both serving in France, and Dr. Maurice. Sisters were Louise and Fannie. His parents and oldest sister emigrated from Roumania in 1884.
Rupert graduated from Middletown High School and spent one year at Delaware College. He was appointed by Congressman Heald to the Naval Academy.
- May 1917 – 54th Company, 2nd Regiment – Rupert is a 2nd Lieutenant – Commanding Company
- He got on the SS Algonquin in Monti Cristi, Dominican Republic, heading to NYC 7/27/1917. He had served 18 months. Went as First Lt – left as Captain (Delaware death record)
- February 1918 – Marine detachment – USS North Carolina – Captain
- June, in school
- July 1918 – Headquarters Overseas Depot, Quantico Va – DETACHED on 7 July to Co. “A”, First Casual Batt.
- July 12 Company A, 3rd Casual Replacement Battalion
- July 12 to 14 on leave (did go see his parents – then his brother saw him in Baltimore)
- July 15 to 31 Commanding Battalion
- August 31, 1918 – he cabled his parents that he arrived in France. Per newspaper
Delaware death record said he was marching to St. Mihiel front when taken ill. Battle was Sept. 12-15, 1918. Per Rupert’s military identification card at the Jewish Historical Society of Delaware: “Brother Jack, a physician present at his death. Brother stationed in hospital in Dijon, France and told of patient there with same name. Discovered his brother and could not save him.” Also, it was noted on this card under MILITARY HONORS that Rupert had invented some kind of machine gun for services.In April 1920, trees were planted in honor of Rupert and others on Arbor Day at the public schools. On November 11, the town erected a “Soldiers’ Memorial” monument to him and the others who died in WWI. The three-story monument with an eagle on top was renovated in 2008 and is located in Cochran Square. In December 1919, a memorial tablet was dedicated to Rupert at the new Mason’s lodge in Middletown.
The unit he was commanding was the "Third Separate Battalion," and had sailed for France on August 13 arriving August 26, 1918, aboard a ship named "Henderson."
Though he was referred to in Delaware's press reports as a Major, all contemporaneous reporting — and, most notably, his headstone — give his rank as Captain.
He is buried in Pennsylvania.
Photographs
From the 1915 Lucky Bag
Note
While death from illness is not normally considered an operational loss, believe that conditions on the Western Front in WWI likely justify the characterization, even though he had only been in the war zone for roughly two weeks.
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
January 1915
January 1916
January 1917
March 1918
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
