Second Lt. Peter Burks
Second Lt. Peter Burks graduated from Texas A&M, then chose to join the US Army. Commissioned through Officer Candidate School and sent to Iraq as a combat platoon leader, he told his parents his goal was to bring his soldiers safely home. Quietly religious and dutiful, Burks was proud to serve.
On Nov. 14, 2007, as the lieutenant led his men back to their base at the end of a patrol in Baghdad, a massive Iranian-made bomb struck his vehicle. Two of his soldiers were wounded. Standing upright in a hatch to direct his unit, Burks was struck in the head by shrapnel and died.
His story was one of many, notched down as just one more casualty by the press. But the Burks family lives in Texas, a long way from DC (in more ways than just distance). Instead of blaming our government, they honored their son’s service even as they mourned him.
His relatives remembered how Lt. Burks kept asking them to send goodies for his troops - not all of whom had a strong family supporting them. In his honor, they set up the Peter Burks Unsung Heroes Fund, literally a mom-and-pop effort to support those who serve.
What did their homespun effort accomplish? Nothing that would impress prize-hunting journalists. But they shipped over three tons of snack food and recreational materials to their son’s comrades.
So many donations flooded in that the unit chaplain in Iraq set up “Burks Country Store.” Everything on the shelves is free for soldiers.
...let comrade answer “here.”
Hat tip Power Line.
Here.
Posted by k2aggie07 on July 08, 2008 at 2216 hrs
There’s this too, if you’re interested in contributing:
Posted by jesusisjustalrightwithme on July 09, 2008 at 1222 hrs
Ol' Army
