Edward Joseph Burke (November 2, 1907 – August 19, 1967) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

player and officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He played college football at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

and was a consensus first-team All-American

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

in 1928. He thereafter served in the

, was the commanding officer of two destroyers during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and attained the rank of rear admiral.

Early life

Burke was born in

Larksville, Pennsylvania Larksville is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is west of Wilkes Barre on the Susquehanna River (along U.S. Route 11). The population was 4,216 as of the 2020 census. History Larksville was formed from a section of ...

. Burke was raised in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

, and was appointed to the

in 1925. At the Academy, he played at the guard position for the Navy Midshipmen football team from 1926 to 1928. He was captain of the team in 1928. He was a consensus first-team selection to the

1928 College Football All-America Team The 1928 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1928. The seven selectors recognized by the ...

. Burke graduated from the Naval Academy in 1929.

Career

Burke spent his entire career in active service with the U.S. Navy. During

, he was the commander of two destroyers, and . He received the Legion of Merit for his actions while commander of the ''USS Plunkett'' to rescue survivors from a burning hospital ship during the 1943 invasion of Italy. He received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for heroism during operations at Anzio, Italy in 1944. From 1946 to 1947, Burke was deputy navy advisor at the Office of Military Government for Germany in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. Burke was a professor of naval science at College of the Holy Cross. In 1959, Burke was assigned as director of enlisted personnel at the Bureau of Naval Personnel. He later became commander of the . He attained the rank of rear admiral in 1959 upon retirement.

Personal life

Burke married Adele. They had a daughter, Mrs. Patricia Gipple. Later in life, he lived in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

. Burke died on August 19, 1967. He was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Edward 1907 births 1967 deaths People from Larksville, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania American football guards Navy Midshipmen football players All-American college football players United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy rear admirals Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Military personnel from Pennsylvania College of the Holy Cross faculty Burials at Arlington National Cemetery