Walter Burns got his hair cut May 6.

So his family, friends and neighbors threw a party. Really, all of America and most of the world had reason to celebrate.

The veteran had sworn nine and a half years ago that he would not cut his hair until Osama bin Laden was caught or killed.

Bin Laden claimed to have planned the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing thousands of people. He was killed by a team of Navy SEALs the Sunday before Burns’ haircut.

“I just didn’t have no other way to contribute to this so I said ‘You know what, I’m not going to cut my hair until they capture these people that was involved in it…’

“Nine and a half years later, we got it cut,” he said with a smile, affirming he was glad the Saudi was killed instead of captured.
“He’s done already caused enough grief for many people and we didn’t need to have him around anymore.”

Burns served four years with the 3rd Infantry Division back in the 1970s when it was based in Germany, but he said his patriotism grew during his childhood in Hawaii.

“I was brought up loving my country,” the Midway resident said.

He now works as a heavy-equipment mechanic for Chatham County, and his family has become even more military-oriented since he served.

He and his wife, Robin, who works at Woodlands Health Care in Midway, have three daughters, all whom served various duties in different military branches.

One daughter, Christine, and her family are finishing up a deployment with her Army husband, Warrant Officer Fou Moaga, in Germany. They were able to watch the shearing online.

The roomful of supporters cheered and cracked jokes as Robin Burns whacked off her husband’s ponytail, which reached to the middle of his back. The styling was done by Terri Neubanks, who has a self-named shop in Savannah.
“This is great,” she said.

She also said Burns’ ponytail was to be donated to Locks of Love, which makes wigs to donate to cancer patients.