Journal News
August 7, 2008

Daniel Burns, a member of the class of 2004 at Somers High School, graduated from Siena College in May and was commissioned a second lieutenant in June in the United States Marine Corps.

The commissioning took place at the Vietnam Memorial in Lasdon Park, where a benediction was given by the Rev. Steven Clark, a former Marine pilot, of St. Francis Assissi Church in Mount Kisco.

Burns attended Platoon Leader Class and graduated from the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in August 2007.

At Somers, Burns played varsity football for four years under coach Tony DeMatteo. He played lacrosse and was on the team that vied for the state championship in Syracuse. He was a senior patrol leader and received the Order of the Arrow in the Boy Scouts.

During spring break this year, Burns worked with underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. He founded the Semper Fi Club at Siena and, as its first president, led students in a writing campaign to U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and coordinated the collection of Toys for Tots on the Siena campus. In April, he represented Siena at a student forum discussing global governance at the United Nations. He also volunteered for three years at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.

He will continue working as an intern for the state Office of Homeland Security until he reports to Quantico in October. His parents, Tom and Lynette Burns, live in Katonah.