Burke, Arleigh
Burke, Arleigh (1901–1996), legendary World War II destroyer skipper and Cold War naval strategist.Born on a farm near Boulder, Colorado, Arleigh Burke never completed high school but won appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Graduating 7 June 1923, he married Roberta “Bobbie” Gorsuch the same day. After five years in battleship Arizona, Burke chose an ordnance specialty. He earned a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1931. A skilled pre–World War II and wartime commander and tactical innovator, Burke received national attention and the nickname “31 Knot Burke” in November 1943 when his Destroyer Squadron 23 decisively defeated a Japanese force in the Battle of Cape St. George in the Solomon Islands. Burke subsequently served as Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher's chief of staff in Fast Carrier Task Force 58/38 during the Marianas, Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa...
[The entire page is 432 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
