Lew Burridge, Jr. Papers
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10735.1/7483
Alvin Lewis (Lew) Burridge Jr. was born on June 18, 1920, to Alvin Lewis Burridge and Alberta Burridge, née Erikson. He had two brothers, Charles Kingsley Burridge and George Nau Burridge. After his formative years, on December 7, 1941, the day of the Pearl Harbor Attack, Burridge, Jr. enlisted in the United States Marine Air Corps.
During World War II, Burridge worked as a flight instructor for North American B-25 Mitchell and Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft in North Carolina. Near the end of World War II, Burridge was transferred to the Pacific Theater flying under the command of Gen. Claire Lee Chennault and his Flying Tigers.
Burridge continued to fly for Chennault, this time for Civil Air Transport (CAT) that the latter had founded shortly after the war. Next to his pilot position, Burridge was an executive for CAT organizing the air support and transportation of goods in support of the Chinese Nationals and their fight against communism in the late 1940s. Burridge was also responsible for Public Relations and Advertising, Operations, Sales, and Traffic.
Burridge served in the early 1950s in the United States Reserves. After discharge from the forces, Burridge worked for the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an advisor during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
After his military career, Burridge founded the Asian division of the Sterling Drug Company in Japan and served as its president for thirty years.
In 1951, Burridge married Ann Patricia Kuzniar. Kuzinar worked for the State Department in Tokyo, where the couple met. They had three children, son Alvin Lewis Burridge, III; and daughters Carol Ann Burridge and Laura Burridge Nute.
Burridge finally retired in the 1980s and after living most his life in the Far East with his wife and children, the couple moved back to the United States, taking up residence in Ripton, VT. Burridge lost his wife Ann Patricia after more than fifty years of marriage in 2006.
Lew Burridge passed away on Nov. 16, 2011 at the age of ninety-one being survived by his brother Charles Kingsley Burridge, children, and grandchildren.
During World War II, Burridge worked as a flight instructor for North American B-25 Mitchell and Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft in North Carolina. Near the end of World War II, Burridge was transferred to the Pacific Theater flying under the command of Gen. Claire Lee Chennault and his Flying Tigers.
Burridge continued to fly for Chennault, this time for Civil Air Transport (CAT) that the latter had founded shortly after the war. Next to his pilot position, Burridge was an executive for CAT organizing the air support and transportation of goods in support of the Chinese Nationals and their fight against communism in the late 1940s. Burridge was also responsible for Public Relations and Advertising, Operations, Sales, and Traffic.
Burridge served in the early 1950s in the United States Reserves. After discharge from the forces, Burridge worked for the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an advisor during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
After his military career, Burridge founded the Asian division of the Sterling Drug Company in Japan and served as its president for thirty years.
In 1951, Burridge married Ann Patricia Kuzniar. Kuzinar worked for the State Department in Tokyo, where the couple met. They had three children, son Alvin Lewis Burridge, III; and daughters Carol Ann Burridge and Laura Burridge Nute.
Burridge finally retired in the 1980s and after living most his life in the Far East with his wife and children, the couple moved back to the United States, taking up residence in Ripton, VT. Burridge lost his wife Ann Patricia after more than fifty years of marriage in 2006.
Lew Burridge passed away on Nov. 16, 2011 at the age of ninety-one being survived by his brother Charles Kingsley Burridge, children, and grandchildren.