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View a eulogy for William David Burroughs, USMA '55, who passed away on March 21, 1999.
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William David Burroughs

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by John C. McCloskey on April 19, 1999:

Dave and I were teammates in the Goat-Engineer football game on Thanksgiving 1953. He was quarterback and I was a lineman, whose duty included protecting the quarterback, especially on pass plays. Across the line of scrimmage from me was another classmate, Will Holbrook, who was bigger and stronger than I. Late in the game, we were behind and nearly every play we tried was a pass. Will consistently burst across the neutral zone and shoved me back toward Dave and literally wore both Dave and me out.
Both Will and Dave earned my sincere respect that day. Will whipped me soundly in the trenches, fair and square. Dave showed a lot of old fashioned guts, repeatedly getting up and trying again despite the physical punishment he was taking. He showed the strength of character that helped pull him through his time in the POW camp years later.
He is surely one of our most revered classmates, and I am proud to have known him.

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