Carl Nelson Burdett was born on 7 July 1925, in Marion, Ohio. His parents are Nelson O. & Florence (Seiter) Burdett of Marion, Ohio. Carl N. Burdett attended school at Harding High School. He then was employed with McDaniel Motor Company.

Carl N. Burdett entered service on 23 April 1943, entering the United States Naval Reserve. He attended basic training at Great Lakes Training Station, Illinois. He then attended the first class to complete the 16-week gunners school. They completed the traininng in 12 weeks. He was further trained at Norfolk, Virginia. He was then assigned to the USS Barr (DE-576). Burdett’s rank was Gunners Mate Third Class (GM3C).

The USS Barr was assigned to the Atlantic area. After the USS Barr and crew completed the shakedown cruise, they were sent on their first combat mission. The mission was with hunter-killer group TG 21.11. They were to provide a screen for USS Block Island (CVE 21). On 29 May 1944, a German U-Boat (U-549), made it’s way into the group. U-549 then was able to strike with a German Naval Acoustic Torpedo (GNAT). A GNAT homed in on the noise of ships’ propellers. The Barr was struck in the stern. Initially 16 men were killed or Missing in Action and 14 injured.

On 29 May 1944, U-549 slipped undetected through the screen of the hunter-killer group TG 21.11, formed around USS Block Island (CVE 21) and at 20.13 hours fired three T-3 torpedoes on the carrier, one or two of them struck and she sank northeast of Canary Islands. At 20.40 hours, USS Barr (DE 576) was damaged in the stern by a Gnat and a second Gnat missed USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE 686). But U-549 was then attacked and sunk by the latter and USS Ahrens (DE 575).

USS Barr (DE 576), which was on her first war voyage, lost 16 dead and 14 injured. On the following morning the injured and some personnel were transferred to USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE 686), which took the badly damaged destroyer escort in tow. Assisted by USS Wilhoite (DE 397) and the Dutch tug Antic they arrived in Casablanca on 5 June. After preliminary repairs, USS Barr (DE 576) was towed by USS Cherokee (ATF 66) to Boston, arriving there on 25 July.

From U. S. Naval Records

GM3C Carl N. Burdett was lost at sea in the attack. He was reported as Missing in Action. His parents would be notified a year later that his status was officially changed to Presumed Dead. GM3C Carl N. Burdett’s remains were never recovered. GM3C Carl N. Burdett is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, North Africa American Cemetery, Tunisia.

Carl N. Burdett is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and on the World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.