BILLINGS — A US Army veteran from Billings — Clint Burdette — is asking for his basic training uniforms back after his Billings Heights storage unit was broken into two separate times in 2021.
“People just don’t have any respect for anything anymore. It’s tiring. You work to get the things you have and somebody else just thinks that they can help themselves to it and not have any recourse in it at all," Burdette, 41, told MTN News.
Burdette first moved his belongings into KO Storage of Billings in 2019. He didn't have any problems until 2021 when Burdette said a malfunction left the front gate open for about a week, while at the same time security cameras on the property weren't working.
“The camera is not up and running. There’s no way to help find out what day and when and where. What type of vehicle was up at the door and stuff. If they came in a vehicle? Which I like to think they would have, but you never know," Burdette said.
In April, 2021, thieves bought the storage unit next to Burdette's and cut into the top of the walls to climb over the gap. Burdette said they rifled through his belongings along with other items in adjacent units.
“They went from left to behind and I wouldn’t be surprised if they went to the right side as well," Burdette said.
Tools, cooking equipment, a crossbow, and irreplaceable sentimental items all gone to the thieves. But it got worse in November or December last year when Burdette found an unfamiliar lock attached to his storage unit. And still no working cameras to find the culprit, he said.
“Then they put a padlock of their own on so they could come help themselves to anything they wanted. It’s probably a good thing I came by when I did and spotted that or else I could have been wiped out completely,” Burdette said.
This time, Burdette’s Army basic training uniforms were gone. Those uniforms are a scary thing to lose for Burdette, because they are sewn with a tag that contains his name and social security number.
“Who knows what they are going to do with it or if they are going to toss it in a dumpster or something too. I really don’t know," Burdette said.
The uniform looks like the one shown in the photo above and photo below. The shoulder of the shirt has a private first class insignia and a white tag sewn in it with Clint Burdette's name and social security number
If you happen across the uniform at thrift stores in the Billings area, Burdette can be reached at 406-697-3848. He is also available on Facebook. View his profile to send him a message by clicking here.
