Edward Burke
Burke in 1927
Navy Midshipmen
PositionGuard
Personal information
Born:(1907-11-02)November 2, 1907
Larksville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:August 19, 1967(1967-08-19) (aged 59)
Career history
College
Career highlights and awards
Military career
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
RankRear admiral
Commands heldUSS Simpson
USS Plunkett
USS Des Moines
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsNavy Cross
Legion of Merit
Spouse(s)Adele
Children1

Edward Joseph Burke (November 2, 1907 – August 19, 1967) was an American football player and officer in the United States Navy. He played college football at the United States Naval Academy and was a consensus first-team All-American guard in 1928. He thereafter served in the United States Navy, was the commanding officer of two destroyers during World War II, and attained the rank of rear admiral.

Early life

Burke was born in Larksville, Pennsylvania.[1] Burke was raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy 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.[1][2] He was a consensus first-team selection to the 1928 College Football All-America Team.[3] Burke graduated from the Naval Academy in 1929.[1]

Career

Burke spent his entire career in active service with the U.S. Navy. During World War II, he was the commander of two destroyers, USS Simpson and USS Plunkett.[4] 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 for heroism during operations at Anzio, Italy in 1944.[1][5] From 1946 to 1947, Burke was deputy navy advisor at the Office of Military Government for Germany in Berlin.[1]

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 USS Des Moines.[1] He attained the rank of rear admiral in 1959 upon retirement.[1]

Personal life

Burke married Adele. They had a daughter, Mrs. Patricia Gipple. Later in life, he lived in Sarasota, Florida.[1]

Burke died on August 19, 1967. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Rear Adm. Edward Burke, All-America at Navy, Dies". The Baltimore Sun. 1967-08-19. p. A13. Retrieved 2023-01-16 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  2. ↑ Lucky Bag Yearbook (US Naval Academy), 1929, p. 335.
  3. ↑ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 5. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Allied Warship Commanders: Edward Joseph Burke, USN". uboat.net.
  5. ↑ "Edward Joseph Burke". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
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