E. L. M. Burns

Lieutenant General Eedson Louis Millard "Tommy" Burns, was a senior officer of the Canadian Army and a diplomat. He saw active service in both World War I and World War II. His World War II command during the Italian campaign, although successful, sparked a sharp divide in military academic circles post-war. In the early 1950s, he was the deputy minister for the Veterans Affairs Canada department. He served as the initial commander of the first United Nations peacekeeping force in 1956. In the late 1950s, he became one of Canada's nuclear disarmament negotiators. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, he taught strategic studies at Carleton University. He wrote several books about his war and peacekeeping experiences. Burns was honoured with several awards including the Order of Canada in 1967 and the Pearson Medal of Peace in 1981.