Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) - Naval Cruise Book

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ADMIRAL ARLEIGH A. BURKE tiff 1 D t n was born in Boulder, Colorado on October 19, 1901. grijdlulaallhg fhgarht tfljgkzltajfal iscagjeihjwln 1923, he served on the USS ARIZONA. IBB 391 and the PROC YON IAG 111 before returning to the Academy for ,DOSY Hfaduaf? ed'-'Fat'9'7 gg than fhe University of Michigan where he received his master s degree in engineering in . ' ' ' ' , h ' ned to the Bureau of Ordnance between tours on the heavy if5sz 5sft'HzQf4z1. fs,. 55f'ZZSfLi destroyer U55 CRA vm IDD-3821. Promoted fp Lfeufqfnanf Commander in 1939, he commanded the USS MUGFORD IDD 3891 before being assigned ordnance inspector at the Washington Navy Yard. In january 1943, he was awarded command of Destroyer Division 43 and hoisted his flag on the USS WALLER IDD 4661 which in March of 1943 blew up a japanese destroyer in the central Solomons. ln May he shifted to command of Destroyer Division 44, escorting convoys in the Solomons. Captain Burke took over Destroyer Squadron 12 in August 1943 and then Destroyer Squadron 23 two months later. The latter came to be known as the' Little Beavers after their insignia based on the character from the popular Red Ryder comic strip. Captain Burke also commanded one of the Squadron's two divisions, No. 45, his flag on the USS CHARLES AUS- BURNE IDD 5701. In the van at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, Bougain ville, in November 1943, he distinguished himself in leading several torpedo attacks which sank a number of japanese warships. At the end of the month he surpassed this performance at the Battle of Cape St. George, New Ireland. In what has been termed a near perfect tactical action by military experts, the Little Beavers destroyed three ships of a larger japanese force without sustaining the slightest damage. It was at this time that Captain Burke's ability to lead his squadron in spectacular dashes at high speed caught the public's attention and earned him the nickname Thirty-One Knot Burke. ln March 1944, Destroyer Squadron 23 joined Task Force 58. Burke, in the rank of Commodore, became chief of staff to the force commander, Admiral Marc A. Mitscher. As such he participated in the landings at Hollandia and Saipan and in the battles of the Philippine Sea and Le te Gulf His , 1' role of assisting the now Commander First Fast Carrier Force Pacific Fleet increased during the orce s participation in the Iwo jlma islands. After a Kamikaze strike during the Okinawa cam- paign, Commodore Burke personally rescued several sailors from a burning compartment on the USS BUNKER HILL. He was rewarded with a Silver Star for his heroism. Following World War ll, Burke was chief of staff of the 8th Fleet, the Atlantic Fleet, and then served in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1950, he served in Korea as Commander Cruiser Division FIVE and in 1951 as United Nations delegate to the truce talks with North Korea. g Aga 51 -1955, :resident Eisenhower nominated the 53- year-old Burke to the post of Chief of Naval ra io I p ns, ypasslng 87 active duty officers senior to him. Confirmed in August, he took over ater that month and held the office for.an unprecedented six years I 1955- 19611. Admiral Burke acted as a major force on the joint Chiefs of Staff in developing the Navy's Polaris submarine missile program and in keepin it und N ' ' ' , , 8 er avy controL he also utilized the new FORRES TAL class carriers in a nuclear deterrent r l . D ' - ' I o e uring his tenure th l f t 'ded missiles for anti-aircraft d f ' ' I ' e navy a so made the Sh' t O gui e ense, jet powered carr ff, d ' I powered surface ships. He retired in August 1961. ,er alrcra an developed the fmt nuc ear Ensign Arleigh Burke married Miss Roberta Gorsuch on june 7 1923. 4 I I I T In A