Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award posthumously (presented to his family) from Vice President Spiro T. Agnew at the White House on April 20, 1970, for his actions as a private first class with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, 1st Marine Division, on May 17, 1968, at Le Nam, Quang Nam Province, South Viet Nam. He enlisted with the active US Marine Corps in May 1967 and after his recruit, combat, and motor mechanic training, he was sent to South Vietnam in February 1968. On May 17, 1968, during Operation Allen Brook, he was killed in action while charging enemy positions. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, the Vietnamese Gallantry and military Merit Medals. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty for service as a machine gunner with Company I. While on Operation Allen Brook, Company I was approaching a dry river bed with a heavily wooded treeline that borders the hamlet of Le Nam (1), when they suddenly came under intense mortar, rocket-propelled-grenade, automatic-weapons, and small-arms fire from a large, well-concealed enemy force which halted the company's advance and wounded several marines. Realizing that key points of resistance had to be eliminated to allow the units to advance and casualties to be evacuated, Pfc. Burke, without hesitation, seized his machine gun and launched a series of one-man assaults against the fortified emplacements. As he aggressively maneuvered to the edge of the steep river bank, he delivered accurate suppressive fire upon several enemy bunkers, which enabled his comrades to advance and move the wounded marines to positions of relative safety. As he continued his combative actions, he located an opposing automatic-weapons emplacement and poured intense fire into the position, killing three North Vietnamese soldiers as they attempted to flee. Pfc. Burke then fearlessly moved from one position to another, quelling the hostile fire until his weapon malfunctioned. Obtaining a casualty's rifle and hand grenades, he advanced further into the midst of the enemy fire in an assault against another pocket of resistance, killing two more of the enemy. Observing that a fellow marine had cleared his malfunctioning machine gun, he grasped his weapon and moved into a dangerously exposed area and saturated the hostile treeline until he fell mortally wounded. Pfc. Burke's gallant actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country."