William Brooksbank Burdeshaw

Brigadier General William Brooksbank Burdeshaw, U.S. Army (Ret.) passed away on September 14, at home in Potomac, MD at the age of 88 after a long battle with leukemia. Bill, son of Thomas and Margaret Burdeshaw, was born in East Orange, NJ on November 20, 1930. He spent his childhood in East Orange and Griffin, GA. After attending Marion Military Institute in Marion, AL, he received his appointment to West Point.

Bill graduated from West Point in 1953 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Artillery. General Burdeshaw proudly served his country for 26 years, including tours of duty in Vietnam and Korea. A master paratrooper, he commanded an artillery battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division, the Division Artillery of the 2nd Division in Korea, and was the acting Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, TX. He also served as an advisor to the Vietnamese Army in the Republic of Vietnam. While serving in Vietnam, his helicopter crashed and immediately came under intense hostile fire. Though wounded, Bill led the crewmen on a 5-kilometer march over the mountains to a safe evacuation point. His actions that day earned him the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with “V” Device (for valor), and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star. During his military career, Bill was awarded an Army Distinguished Service Medal, three Legions of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Air Medals, and two Army Commendation Medals. He also received many foreign awards, including medals from the Republics of Korea and Vietnam. Although a career artilleryman, Bill won the Combat Infantry Badge for his service as a ground advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

General Burdeshaw earned his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, attended the U.S. Army War College, and in 1977 he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Bill served in the Department of Defense in the Pentagon until his retirement in 1979. He was recognized by his peers in the Army as a talented leader, a visionary, and a strong commander who cared deeply for the men and women under his command.

While stationed in Athens, Greece with the Joint U.S. Military Aid to Greece (JUSMAG) he met the love of his life Monica Dorr. They were married in London, England on September 27, 1957.

Retired from active duty, Bill founded Burdeshaw Associates Limited (BAL), a defense consulting firm. Under Bill’s 37-year leadership, BAL grew to several hundred associates and a spot on the Fortune 500. He sold the company in 2016 and today it is still known as Burdeshaw Associates Limited.

A member of Burning Tree Club, Bill was an avid golfer. He enjoyed many happy hours in the company of his friends and was most proud of his hole-in-one. He was a member of Congressional Country Club and a former member of Kenwood Country Club. Bill was an enthusiastic reader of military history and he and Monica pursued this interest traveling with the Decorative Arts Trust. Over the years Bill and Monica enjoyed many vacations with family in Keystone, CO, Fenwick Island, DE, and Damariscotta, ME. They also enjoyed special times at Half Moon Bay in Jamaica.

Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Monica of Potomac, MD, brother Bruce Burdeshaw of Marietta, GA, sister Carol Purvis of Hampton, GA; his four children, daughter Leath and her husband Richard Hiegel of Potomac, MD, son Thomas Burdeshaw of Potomac, MD, daughter Dr. Anne Shrout, LTC USAR and her husband Dr. Joseph Shrout, COL USA (Ret.) of Potomac, MD, daughter Alison Hereford and her husband Dr. Lee Hereford of Staunton, VA; ten grandchildren and four nieces and nephews.

The family will be receiving guests at Joseph Gawler’s Sons, 5130 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016 between 4 pm and 8 pm on October 10. Burial will be at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the teams at Walter Reed National Medical Center, Bethesda, MD and MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX for their caring support of Bill.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX, 77210-4486.