Army Lieutenant Francis Burke earned the Medal of Honor on this day during the fall of the Third Reich, when he led by example, exposing himself to enemy fire repeatedly and taking out three German machine gun bunkers. He was a motor transport officer, but he stepped forward in the closing days of World War II and was an exemplary leader. Honor and remember him!

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Burke was born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York and grew up in New Jersey. He joined the national Guard in 1936, and was with the 3rd Infantry Division throughout the War. Read this great article on his life and the impact he had on the people around him: https://www.nj.gov/military/veterans/journal/summer2007/8.html

Burke stopped a German sneak attack and took out three machine gun nests on his own, and killed or captured over 50 enemy soldiers. Read his Medal of Honor citation:

Burke received the Medal of Honor from President Truman, served in the National Guard for 25 years after the War, and raised a family in New Jersey. He was very humble about his experiences in the War and set a great example for his family and community. His daughter, Maureen, said, “He was a man who never acted for the sake of what it looked like to others…heroics were a part of his daily life…he would have given his life to protect his family,”