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Peter H. Burks—April 2008 Shipment Honoree
Peter's fiancé
created a web site in honor of Peter. Below is the link:
his legacy. http://web.mac.com/peteandmissy/Pete_and_Missy/Welcome.html
In
Remembrance of Peter H. Burks
Source: Associated Press
(http://www.militarycity.com/valor/3197129.html)
A Dallas
soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq is being remembered
as a dedicated team player who felt the call to serve.
Army 2nd Lt. Peter H. Burks, 26, died
Nov. 14 when his vehicle was hit just outside the Green Zone
in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker
Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
Alan Burks of Celina said he wasn’t
surprised that his son’s last actions involved checking on the
five men with him. “He told me, over and over and over again,
he said: ‘Dad, my job is to get my 17 guys home safe. Then
after that I’ll get myself home safe,’ ” Burks said.
Peter Burks moved with his family to
Dallas in 1987 and graduated from Trinity Christian Academy in
Addison and Texas A&M University. He worked in marketing for
the Dallas Desperados and FC Dallas.
“He’s as good as they come,” his father
said. Alan Burks said his son had long talked about military
service. “He felt the call to serve. He’d tried corporate
life and he just said, ‘I have to go do this Dad. This is
what I’ve got to do.’ ”
He joined the Army in 2006 and went to
Officer Candidate School. He was deployed to Iraq about three
months ago.
Besides his father, he is survived by
his mother, Jackie Merck, of McKinney; his fiance; three
sisters; a brother; a grandmother and a grandfather.
Peter
Haskell Burks: Dallas soldier killed in Iraq was strong in
body and mind
Source: Joe Simnacher, Dallas Morning
News
(http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/obituaries/stories/DN-burksobit_17met.ART.North.Edition1.369822a.html)
Throughout his life, 2nd Lt. Peter
Haskell Burks was known as a dedicated team player, a trait he
maintained as an Army troop leader in Iraq.
On Wednesday he was commanding a unit
just outside the Green Zone in Baghdad when his vehicle was
hit by a roadside bomb. Lt. Burks received shrapnel wounds to
his head, and five of his men were injured.
"Peter's first words when the explosion
happened ... he asked his men, 'Are you OK?' " said his
father, Alan Burks of Celina. "Then he said, 'I'm OK.' From
what we've learned from the officers who were there, he was
conscious for a short period of time."
Lt. Burks, 26, died at the scene
Wednesday. His body arrived Friday in Dover, Del., en route to
Dallas from Iraq.
Lt. Burks' last actions were no surprise
to his father.
"He told me, over and over and over
again, he said: 'Dad, my job is to get my 17 guys home safe.
... Then after that I'll get myself home safe.' "
Born in Atlanta, he moved with his
family to Dallas in 1987. He was a 1999 graduate of Trinity
Christian Academy in Addison, where he was a member of the
National Honor Society, played football and baseball, and
belonged to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
"He's as good as they come," Mr. Burks
said. His son was physically and mentally strong as well as
disciplined and committed, he said.
Lt. Burks was the ultimate teammate and
a man of strong faith "who could always be counted on to do
the right thing," his father said.
He received a bachelor's degree from
Texas A&M University in 2003. He worked in France as a tour
guide for a year, before returning to Dallas and a community
relations internship with the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to
marketing work for the Dallas Desperados and FC Dallas, the
Frisco-based soccer team.
Then he joined the Army.
"He'd been talking about military
service since he was a very young man," his father said. "He
felt the call to serve. He'd tried corporate life and he just
said, 'I have to go do this Dad. This is what I've got to do.'
"
He joined the Army in 2006. He excelled
in training, receiving leadership awards and progressing to
Officer Candidate School, where he was voted president of his
class, his father said.
Lt. Burks was commissioned in October
2006 and sent to Fort Sill, Okla. In July, he was assigned to
the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.
He was deployed to Iraq about three
months ago.
Lt. Burks "was like the perfect son,"
said Daryl Davis, a family friend of 24 years. "He was the
epitome of good and value."
He wanted to serve his country and raise
a family, Mr. Davis said.
Lt. Burks was engaged to Missy Haddad of
McKinney.
In addition to his father, Lt. Burks is
survived by his mother, Jackie Merck of McKinney; three
sisters, Alison Burks of Celina, Sarah Burks of Dallas and
Georgia Burks of Celina; a brother, Zac Burks of Celina; a
grandmother, Irene Merck of Fayetteville, Ga.; and a
grandfather, Haskell Burks of Fayetteville, Ga.
Pete Burks
Source: Dallas Morning News
(http://www.legacy.com/DallasMorningNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=98337475)
BURKS, , 2LT PETER HASKELL On November
13, 2007, while serving our great country, 2nd Lieutenant
Peter "Pete" Burks was called home to eternal life. Pete was
a man of great Faith, honor and courage, and is incredibly
missed by everyone. He had the ability to light up any room
with his glowing personality and quick sense of humor, and
lived life with a passion admired by all. Born April 10,
1981, in Atlanta, GA, Pete brightened many lives in his 26
years. After graduating from Trinity Christian Academy in
1999, he attended the University of Georgia, then transferred
to Texas A&M, where he completed a BA in international
studies. During his time at A&M, Peter served as the
president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and was also a
sportswriter for The Battalion, among other activities. After
graduating, he worked as a tour guide in Nice, France, and
also worked for the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Desperadoes and
FC Dallas. He loved sharing the good word of Christ, and was
very active in Young Life. In April 2006, Peter proudly
answered his call to service by joining the U.S. Army. He
received many honors in his training courses, and his fellow
soldiers considered him a fearless leader and man of
integrity. He served in the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment
as a troop leader, and made a lasting, positive impression in
his short time with his platoon.
Karen,
I want to thank you and your committee that is honoring our
Peter Burks this month. Seeing his face on your page of
honorees brings tears to my eyes...tears of sadness because of
the loss of his life and also the impact his death has had on
his family/fiancée but also tears of proudness for his service
and the faith he held onto to the end. We are SO proud
of Pete and are thankful that groups like yours are willing to
honor the fallen.
I worked with Jim (LHCP Vice
President), while nominating Pete, and he was wonderful to
work with. So a HUGE thank you to your organization for
all you do!
Beth Hebert
(friend of the Burks family)
Additional Links:
http://www.mckinneymessenger.com/articles/2007/11/21/mckinney_courier-gazette/news/enews01.txt
http://www.theeagle.com/local/Aggie_soldier_killed_in_Iraq
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/113007dnmetsoldierlist.20ee274.html
http://www.mckinneymessenger.com/articles/2007/11/20/mckinney_courier-gazette/news/fnews02.txt
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