Lyle L. Burns was born to Harry S. and Cleona Burns in Nebraska in 1912. It is not known when the Burns family arrived in California; however, Lyle was raised and educated in Los Angeles. After completing three years of high school, he left to enter the work force as a painter.

Lyle joined the regular US Army at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California on January 11, 1940, and was assigned to the infantry branch. After basic training, he was stationed at the Presidio at Monterey and it was possibly there that he met and married Illa Foster, who lived in Watsonville. They established a residence in the Pajaro Valley where their daughter Sandra was born. Private Burns was later posted to San Luis Obispo.

Lyle Burns was sent overseas with the 8th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division in June 1943. He remained with the 8th Infantry as it moved through Australia, New Guinea and onto the Admiralty Islands where it saw its first combat.

During the Philippine Island campaign,
“The Division invaded Luzon, landing in the Lingayen Gulf area 27 January 1945, and fought its way to Manila by 3 February 1945. Prisoners at University of Santo Tomas were liberated and the 1st Cavalry had advanced east of Manila by the middle of February before the city was cleared. On 20 February the Division was assigned the mission of seizing and securing crossings over the Marikina River and securing the Tagaytay-Antipolo Line. After being relieved 12 March in the Antipolo area, elements pushed south into Batangas and Bicol Provinces. They mopped up remaining pockets of resistance in these areas in small unit actions.”

It was possibly while participating in these mopping-up actions that Private First Class Lyle L. Burns was killed or received wounds that resulted in his death on April 3, 1945. He was buried in the American Cemetery in Manila.

(ABMC; NARA2; WRP March 2, 1945 1:2)