Shadow Box Honoring Dad's WWII Service

Dad (Harold D. Burk, 1909-1978) served in the US Army from March, 1942 to October, 1945. Because he could type, he was assigned as a personnel clerk with the 3163d Signal Service Company, which supported combat troops in Europe by maintaining communication lines. When Dad came home after World War II ended, he put away his military stuff, concentrating on family life and starting a small business.

Preserving items from Dad's military days

Recently, I brought his wartime memorabilia, plus a 5x7 black/white photo of Dad in uniform, to a terrific custom frame shop for mounting in a specially-designed shadow box. I was willing to invest a few hundred dollars to professionally preserve items from Dad's military days and make them look important and worth saving, for the sake of future generations.

My Sis and I are incredibly thrilled with the results! The framers suggested the creative arrangement shown at top. The background is cream linen, with the photo inset by carefully cutting through the backing, to add a dimensional look. 

All items were mounted using archival methods and materials, and the museum glass protects the contents from fading. The wooden frame is a deep, rich black.

We had a nameplate engraved with Dad's name and dates, and it was tacked to the frame for a finishing touch.

Sharing the story

On the back will be a clear archival envelope where I can store other WWII photos of Dad and a written story about his military service. 

Inside the envelope, I'm including a detailed description of the items in the shadow box (clockwise from top right):

• US Army rifle marksmanship badge
• European Theater campaign service ribbon
• Pair of dice (used during Dad's time off)
• Dog tag
• Brass insignia and buttons of US Army and Signal Corps
• Dog tag
• Shoulder patch for his Signal Corps unit

Two years ago, when I created a bite-sized photo book about military ancestors in my family tree, I explained the symbolism of that colorful patch.

The framer is currently fashioning a custom shadow box for my Mom's and my Aunt's childhood jewelry. More about this very soon.

Professional framing is not in everybody's budget, and readymade shadow boxes are readily available in stores like Michael's as well as online. My goal is archival preservation, not just display, so I decided to move up to the more costly  professional solution for Dad's and Mom's special items.

In Memory of Harold D. Burk, World War II Vet and Travel Agent

My Dad, Harold David Burk, was born on September 29, 1909, and died on August 18, 1978, sadly just weeks before his 69th birthday. In loving memory of Dad's life, I'm posting his bite-sized bio here (in addition to posts on Find a Grave, Fold3, Ancestry, and other sites). 

Harry was born in New York City, the second child of Lithuanian-born immigrant Isaac Burk (1882-1943) and Latvian-born immigrant Henrietta

Mahler Burk (1881-1954) [source: NYC birth cert].

Growing up, his ambition was to be a travel agent. He spent years learning the travel industry from the ground up in Manhattan, waiting for his big break to become a full-fledged agent.

During World War II, Harry interrupted his career to enlist in the U.S. Army on March 7, 1942 and was discharged on October 4, 1945 [source: Dept. of Veterans Affairs BIRLS death file]. His younger brother Sidney B. Burk (1914-1995) also enlisted and served during WWII. In this photo from the war years, Harry is at left and Sidney at right.

Because Harry had good typing skills, he served as a personnel clerk, Technician 5th grade, in the 3163d Signal Service Company of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. His official designation was Administrative NCO 502 [source: DD-214 discharge papers]. His unit served in Central Europe and Rhineland, maintaining communication lines in support of Allied military efforts [source: DD-214]. Toward the end of the war, Harry and his unit were stationed near Paris, in April 1945.

After his honorable discharge, Harry returned home and married Daisy Schwartz (1919-1981) on November 24, 1946, in New York City [source: NYC marriage cert]. They settled in the Bronx, New York, and raised three children. He founded a successful travel agency, Burk Travel Service, working with his brother in their lobby office at the luxurious Manhattan hotel, the Savoy Plaza [source: business documents].

Harry reluctantly retired after the hotel was torn down in 1965 to make way for construction of the General Motors Building. He died of a heart attack on August 18, 1978 in the Bronx, New York, and is buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, NY [source: NYC death cert].

Remembering Dad and missing him today.