Clinton322web

We celebrate
100 years of life of
Mr. Joe “JD” Burchfield,
a proud Christian, American,
Army veteran, and family man.
Mr. Burchfield was born to James Homer and Ray Bell Burchfield on
January 31, 1922, in Attala County. After graduating from Ethel High
School in 1941, he attended Holmes Junior College. In November 1942,
Mr. Burchfield’s studies were interrupted by the United States Army
draft. In 1943, he fought in the Battle of Attu in U.S. Territory of Alaska.
In January and February 1944, he was deployed to the Marshall Islands
and fought in the Battle of Kwajalein. Later that same year, from October
to December, Mr. Burchfield was deployed to the Philippines where he
was wounded in the Battle of Leyte. This battle was the first and most
decisive operation in the American reconquest of the Philippines. In this
battle, 3,504 soldiers died in action and 12,000 were wounded.
Mr. Burchfield received treatment for his wounds in the South
Pacific followed by returning to the United States. In November 1945,
he was honorably discharged from the military and reunited with his
family in Attala County. He was awarded, in the name of the President
of the United States, the Purple Heart for his wartime injury in the
U.S. Army services.
Mr. Burchfield went on to enroll at Mississippi State College,
graduating in 1949. In 1950 he married Nettie James Myres, and settled
in Choctaw County, where they raised their three sons, Mike, Phil, and
Tim. He was an active deacon at his church, Ackerman Baptist Church.
He worked for the Farmers Home Administration for 35 years, retiring in
1981. After retiring he lived on his farm in Ackerman, Miss. He enjoyed
deer hunting, gardening, and traveling with his wife of 64 years.
Mr. Burchfield loves his family and worked hard to provide the
American dream for them. He believes that you must do all you can to live
for God. He lives by the Ten Commandments and his favorite Bible verse
is John 3:16. Eventually, in 2013, he moved to Clinton, and later made
Brookdale Senior Living his home. Today Mr. Burchfield continues to
remain active in community life at Brookdale Clinton.
42 • MARCH 2022