Louis William Burkle was born in New Canaan, Connecticut on February 27, 1895 to Frederick and Linda Burkle who were originally from Germany. The 1910 census shows him living in New Haven with his parents and four siblings. His WW1 draft registration card shows that he was a plumber. In 1940, he was living in Ansonia, Connecticut with his wife, Grace, and 5 children. He also registered for the WW2 draft.
Louis enlisted in New Have July 4, 1917, and he was promoted to PFC on April 18, 1918. On September 18, 1918, PFC Burkle was severely wounded. He was in France from July 14, 1918 until January 30, 1919 and was discharged February 12, 1919. He was entitled to campaign bars for St. Mihiel and Defensive Sector, and that is refected on his Victory medal. Most 82nd Division Purple Hearts have a Muese-Argonne bar. It is obvious that Burkle was in a hospital in France during that time.
PFC Burkle's group includes his officially engraved split brooch WIA Purple Heart, edge numbered 37753, with ribbon bar, two bar WW1 Victory medal, WW1 New Haven medal, a commerative ribbon and a WW1 VFW medal with black ribbon, and a newspaper "Believe it or Not" clipping about the Purple Heart. Also included are copies of internet research, plus a copy of his service info from the Roster of Servicemen in Connecticut. There is a lot about this man on Ancestry. As of 2013, this group has a new home with an 82nd Division collector.
