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Private Velma Mae “Vickie” Burton Ascione

A smiling woman, wearing a pink sweater and matching pink earrings.
  • Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Women’s Air Force
  • Date of Birth: November 2, 1929
  • Entered the Military: April 25, 1949
  • Date of Death: October 31, 2014
  • Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware
  • Place of Death: Wilmington, Delaware
  • Cemetery: Section 2H, Grave 5. Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Bear, Delaware
Contributed by Ethan Cooper, Kolten Hautanen, Justin McGinnis, Ryleigh Nelson, Zayn Richardson, Alison Smith, Aniyah Smith
Mentored by Mrs. Emily Green
POLYTECH High School
2024/2025

Early Life

Velma Mae Burton was born November 2, 1929, in Wilmington, Delaware, to John and Anne E. Burton Brown. Velma’s father served in World War I and supported the family working as an automotive mechanic. Her siblings include Charles, Betty, Ethel, and Gary. Velma attended Henry J. Conrad High School in Wilmington, Delaware, from 1944 to 1948. 

Before enlisting into the military Burton worked as a clerk for a credit investigation company. 

The 1930 census shows Velma Mae, her parents, siblings, and great aunt living in New Castle County, Delaware. National Archives and Records Administration.
The 1940 census shows Velma Mae, her parents, and siblings living in New Castle County, Delaware. National Archives and Records Administration.

Homefront

During the 1950s, Wilmington was the corporate capital of Delaware. More people began moving to Delaware from both rural and urban areas, and the city of Wilmington saw an influx in new workers.

Wilmington played an important role during World War II through industry and shipbuilding. The Dravo Corporation, based in Wilmington, led the production of landing crafts for the U.S. Navy during the war, including ones used on D-Day in Normandy, France. The Dravo Corporation re-opened a shipyard for the Navy, and increased shipbuilding in 1950. The Congress of International Organizations (CIO) held a strike at the Dravo Corporation in 1951. They demanded a raise of 40 cents per hour to match the rate at the Bethlehem Steel Plant.

Although the community was not involved in wartime agriculture production, they dealt with rationing after the Second World War, with sugar rationing continuing into the late 1940s. 

The community’s expectations for women focused on being a good housewife, but change began to show. Women wanted to have more than just housework; they also wanted to have their own life and keep up with society. An article from August 10, 1950, in The Morning News (below, left) noted a local recruiting office receiving a high number of inquiries from women considering enlisting in the Navy. 

During the Korean War, the Delaware state government passed a law for Civil Defense employees requiring them to carry an ID and take an oath of loyalty. An estimated 10,000 soldiers from Wilmington served during the Korean War, and 45 of them never returned home, including 11 people who were Missing in Action.

Newspaper article encouraging voluntary enlistments in U.S. military branches. The Morning News, August 10, 1950.
Article detailing the end of a seven-week strike at the Dravo Corporation The Morning News, March 23, 1951.
In 1951, Delaware passed the Delaware Civil Defense Act of 1951. One requirement was to issue identification cards to civil defense workers. The News Journal, September 26, 1951.

Military Experience

Burton enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1949. The military assigned her to the Women’s Air Force (WAF). She received training in the 3450th Class Tech Training Group at Fort Francis E. Warren in Wyoming, which was renamed F.E. Warren Air Force Base later that year. 

While in the Air Force, she was assigned to the 1909th Airways and Air Communication Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. This squadron researched and designed weapons systems, but it is unclear exactly what Airman Burton did since a fire destroyed her service record. 

Her military occupation specialty was listed as a clerk/typist. In this role she would have produced letters, reports, and forms to keep the military occupation running smoothly. As her fingers flew, so did planes. The military discharged her from service at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 1950 due to disability, fewer than 14 months after joining.

Velma Ascione’s DD-214 form, issued June 9, 1950. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

Veteran Experience

Velma Burton left the military June 9, 1950 and married Sisto “Tony” Ascione, Sr. on June 18, 1950 in Patterson, New Jersey. She had her first child in August of 1951, and had three more within the next decade.

Tony served as a private first class in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After leaving the military they moved back to Wilmington, Delaware. 

Velma Ascione was involved in the Elsmere Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary in 1955. She enjoyed tending to plants, and also volunteered at the greenhouses on Delaware State Hospital grounds. Both programs illustrate her dedication to improving her community through military and community service.

The wedding announcement for Velma Mae Burton and Sisto Anthony Ascione. The News Journal, August 9, 1950.
The birth announcement for Acione’s first daughter, born a little over a year after she left the military. The News Journal, August 6, 1951.
The birth announcement for Acione’s first son, born on March 5, 1953. The News Journal, March 6, 1953.

Commemoration

After almost 65 years of marriage, Tony Ascione died on December 1, 2014. Velma died four years later, on October 31, 2014 at age 84. She was survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Both Velma and Tony are buried near each other at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, Delaware.

Velma Ascione’s grave at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, Delaware, March 7, 2025.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“Agreement Ok’d in Dravo Strike.” The Morning News, March 23, 1951. Newspapers.com (160432740).

Anthony Ascione. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. https://ancestry.com. 

Anthony Sisto Ascione. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. https://ancestry.com.

Ascione Family Photographs. 1943-1955. Courtesy of Michele Dudley.

“Ascione-Miller.” The Morning News [Wilmington, DE], June 17, 1984. Newspapers.com (157533345).

Ascione. Trenton, New Jersey, Marriage Indexes. https://ancestry.com. 

“Births.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], August 6, 1951. Newspapers.com (162230958).

“Births.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], March 6, 1953. Newspapers.com (169924184).

“Burton-Ascione.” The News Journal [Wilmington, Delaware], August 9, 1950. Newspapers.com (161716978).

“Civil Defense Identity Cards to Become Legal Tomorrow.” The News Journal, September 26, 1951. Newspapers.com (162228340).

“Daughter Christened.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], October 26, 1951. Newspapers.com (162284562).

Delaware. New Castle County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestry.com.

Delaware. New Castle County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestry.com

“Draft Eligibles sought by Army.” Wilmington Morning News, August 10, 1950. Newspapers.com (160677373).

“Dravo to Build Navy Seven Floating Cranes.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], July 5, 1951. Newspapers.com (162247313).

“Dravo Worker’s go out on strike after Collapse of Wage Parlays.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], February 5, 1951. Newspapers.com (161791236).

“Elsmere Dinner Aides Selected.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], October 27, 1955. Newspapers.com (155556419).

“End for sugar rationing is not likely before 1947.” Wilmington Morning News [Wilmington, DE], November 9, 1945. Newspapers.com (154315460).

“J Charles Burton Fatally Stricken.” The Morning News [Wilmington, Delaware], June 19, 1951. Newspapers.com( 160442363).

“Korean Reds in wild rout before Chinju” Wilmington Morning News [Wilmington, DE], August 10, 1950. Newspapers.com (160676710).

“Korean War, Survey Shows, Fails To Hurt Vacation Travel” Wilmington Morning News [Wilmington, DE], August 10, 1950. Newspapers.com (160677212).

Millet, R. “Grandma’s rulers were fine, but not for Granddaughter” Wilmington Morning News [Wilmington, DE], August 9, 1950. Newspapers.com (161716894).

“New Life at Dravo Yard.” The Morning News [Wilmington, DE], December 29, 1950. Newspapers.com (160425585).

“Strikers Continue Dravo Picket Line.” The News Journal [Wilmington, DE], February 9, 1951. Newspapers.com (161800411).

“Ten state educators prepare plastics book.” Wilmington Morning News [Wilmington, DE], November 9, 1945. Newspapers.com (154315460).

“Text of Tribunal’s DuPont-GM Ruling.” Wilmington Morning News [Wilmington, DE], June 4, 1950. Newspapers.com (155590083).

Velma Ascione. Obituary Index, 1800s-current. https://ancestry.com.

Velma Mae Burton, DD-214, Department of the Air Force. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Secondary Sources

“City History.” The City of Wilmington.. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/about-us/about-the-city-of-wilmington/city-history. 

“Sisto A. Ascione.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/SISTOAASCIONE/7f7184. 

“Sisto A. ‘Tony’ Ascione.” Find a Grave. Updated December 5, 2010. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62569432/sisto-a-ascione. 

“Velma M. Ascione.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/VELMAMASCIONE/89dbc5.

“Velma M. ‘Vicki’ Ascione.” Find a Grave. Updated November 3, 2014. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138231246/velma_m-ascione. 

“Wilmington: An American World War II Heritage City.” Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/things-to-do/arts-culture-and-history/wilmington-american-wwii-heritage-city/. 

“Wilmington, De – United States.” Korean War Memorials. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://koreanwarmemorials.com/memorial/wilmington-de-united-states/Memorials.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.