On October 26, 2019, Marine Corps Reserve PFC John Taylor Burke, 18, killed in World War II, was finally laid to rest - in American soil - with full military honors.
Born April 21, 1925 in Icard, North Carolina, John Taylor Burke was the only child blessed to the short union of Lloyd Ernest Burke and Miss Frances Mae Link.
"Jack" was raised in Burke and Catawba counties, beginning his education in Hildebran and finally enrolling in Newton-Conover High where he played football. It was during his time as a Red Devil that Jack met his sweetheart, Miss Lorene Davidson, whose friends and family enjoyed calling "Penny".
On August 29, 1942, the 72", 157 lbs, brown-eyed, black-haired 17-year-old took a trip to Raleigh and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Jack soon found himself on a long train ride west where he completed his training at Marine Corps Base, San Diego before shipping out into the Pacific Theater.
Private First Class Burke and his buddies enjoyed the sights, sounds and scenes of Wellington, New Zealand and awaited orders for his first mission. Always one to write home, Jack sent his love and laughter to all of his family and friends.
Private First Class Burke was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 8th Marines (B-1-8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 21, 1943 (D+1 for the "Battle of Tarawa") when young Jack - just 18 years old - perished. His remains were initially recovered and buried on Betio - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, Jack's parents accepted his awards and decorations, including:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Campaign Medal
- Marine Corp Expeditionary Medal, and
- Gold Star Lapel Button.
Also left to mourn his passing were step parents, Thomas Underwood and Nora (McNeal) Burke; half-siblings, Vera (Chapman) McNeely, Fred Chapman, Winnifred (Chapman) Spencer, T.G. Underwood, Jr., Jean (Burke) Bloodworth, Darlene (Burke) Ward, Beverly Huff, Ken Burke and step-sister Lucille Drum.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but PFC Burke’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. The remains that had not been identified were interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP, known as "the Punchbowl"), in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98. On October 13, 1949, the military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
In December of 2013, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found Jack’s surviving family and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's’s family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts, and offered them the opportunity to provide the Family Reference DNA Sample ultimately necessary for Jack's identification. Jean Bloodworth and her daughter Jill rallied the family and Jack's cousin, Daniel Burke, and nephew, Tom McNeely, sent in their DNA with prayers that one day Jack would be found.
On January 23, 2017, the Department of Veterans Affairs disinterred Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98 from the NMCP and turned them over to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for analysis.
On May 15, 2019, the DPAA officially identified PFC Burke and Memorial Day weekend Jack's family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the awesome news. Scientists from DPAA had used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis based on Tom’s donation.
On October 24, 2019, Jack was warmly welcomed home by a large and loving family; including one sister, Beverly Huff, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, including Tom McNeely (the only surviving relative to’ve known Jack). Two days later, on October 26th, PFC Burke was laid to rest at Catawba Memorial Park in Hickory, North Carolina with full military honors.
Marine Corps Reserve Private First Class John Taylor Burke is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PFC Burke's name shall remain permanently inscribed on Court 2 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate Jack has finally been found (56108738, a cenotaph).
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 19-083 (Oct. 1, 2019)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (United States Marine Corps POW/MIA Section), the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab, the DVA and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. “It takes a village!”
Born April 21, 1925 in Icard, North Carolina, John Taylor Burke was the only child blessed to the short union of Lloyd Ernest Burke and Miss Frances Mae Link.
"Jack" was raised in Burke and Catawba counties, beginning his education in Hildebran and finally enrolling in Newton-Conover High where he played football. It was during his time as a Red Devil that Jack met his sweetheart, Miss Lorene Davidson, whose friends and family enjoyed calling "Penny".
On August 29, 1942, the 72", 157 lbs, brown-eyed, black-haired 17-year-old took a trip to Raleigh and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Jack soon found himself on a long train ride west where he completed his training at Marine Corps Base, San Diego before shipping out into the Pacific Theater.
Private First Class Burke and his buddies enjoyed the sights, sounds and scenes of Wellington, New Zealand and awaited orders for his first mission. Always one to write home, Jack sent his love and laughter to all of his family and friends.
Private First Class Burke was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 8th Marines (B-1-8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 21, 1943 (D+1 for the "Battle of Tarawa") when young Jack - just 18 years old - perished. His remains were initially recovered and buried on Betio - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, Jack's parents accepted his awards and decorations, including:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Campaign Medal
- Marine Corp Expeditionary Medal, and
- Gold Star Lapel Button.
Also left to mourn his passing were step parents, Thomas Underwood and Nora (McNeal) Burke; half-siblings, Vera (Chapman) McNeely, Fred Chapman, Winnifred (Chapman) Spencer, T.G. Underwood, Jr., Jean (Burke) Bloodworth, Darlene (Burke) Ward, Beverly Huff, Ken Burke and step-sister Lucille Drum.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but PFC Burke’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. The remains that had not been identified were interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP, known as "the Punchbowl"), in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98. On October 13, 1949, the military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
In December of 2013, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found Jack’s surviving family and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's’s family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts, and offered them the opportunity to provide the Family Reference DNA Sample ultimately necessary for Jack's identification. Jean Bloodworth and her daughter Jill rallied the family and Jack's cousin, Daniel Burke, and nephew, Tom McNeely, sent in their DNA with prayers that one day Jack would be found.
On January 23, 2017, the Department of Veterans Affairs disinterred Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98 from the NMCP and turned them over to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for analysis.
On May 15, 2019, the DPAA officially identified PFC Burke and Memorial Day weekend Jack's family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the awesome news. Scientists from DPAA had used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis based on Tom’s donation.
On October 24, 2019, Jack was warmly welcomed home by a large and loving family; including one sister, Beverly Huff, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, including Tom McNeely (the only surviving relative to’ve known Jack). Two days later, on October 26th, PFC Burke was laid to rest at Catawba Memorial Park in Hickory, North Carolina with full military honors.
Marine Corps Reserve Private First Class John Taylor Burke is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PFC Burke's name shall remain permanently inscribed on Court 2 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate Jack has finally been found (56108738, a cenotaph).
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 19-083 (Oct. 1, 2019)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (United States Marine Corps POW/MIA Section), the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab, the DVA and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. “It takes a village!”
On October 26, 2019, Marine Corps Reserve PFC John Taylor Burke, 18, killed in World War II, was finally laid to rest - in American soil - with full military honors.
Born April 21, 1925 in Icard, North Carolina, John Taylor Burke was the only child blessed to the short union of Lloyd Ernest Burke and Miss Frances Mae Link.
"Jack" was raised in Burke and Catawba counties, beginning his education in Hildebran and finally enrolling in Newton-Conover High where he played football. It was during his time as a Red Devil that Jack met his sweetheart, Miss Lorene Davidson, whose friends and family enjoyed calling "Penny".
On August 29, 1942, the 72", 157 lbs, brown-eyed, black-haired 17-year-old took a trip to Raleigh and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Jack soon found himself on a long train ride west where he completed his training at Marine Corps Base, San Diego before shipping out into the Pacific Theater.
Private First Class Burke and his buddies enjoyed the sights, sounds and scenes of Wellington, New Zealand and awaited orders for his first mission. Always one to write home, Jack sent his love and laughter to all of his family and friends.
Private First Class Burke was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 8th Marines (B-1-8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 21, 1943 (D+1 for the "Battle of Tarawa") when young Jack - just 18 years old - perished. His remains were initially recovered and buried on Betio - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, Jack's parents accepted his awards and decorations, including:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Campaign Medal
- Marine Corp Expeditionary Medal, and
- Gold Star Lapel Button.
Also left to mourn his passing were step parents, Thomas Underwood and Nora (McNeal) Burke; half-siblings, Vera (Chapman) McNeely, Fred Chapman, Winnifred (Chapman) Spencer, T.G. Underwood, Jr., Jean (Burke) Bloodworth, Darlene (Burke) Ward, Beverly Huff, Ken Burke and step-sister Lucille Drum.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but PFC Burke’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. The remains that had not been identified were interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP, known as "the Punchbowl"), in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98. On October 13, 1949, the military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
In December of 2013, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found Jack’s surviving family and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's’s family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts, and offered them the opportunity to provide the Family Reference DNA Sample ultimately necessary for Jack's identification. Jean Bloodworth and her daughter Jill rallied the family and Jack's cousin, Daniel Burke, and nephew, Tom McNeely, sent in their DNA with prayers that one day Jack would be found.
On January 23, 2017, the Department of Veterans Affairs disinterred Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98 from the NMCP and turned them over to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for analysis.
On May 15, 2019, the DPAA officially identified PFC Burke and Memorial Day weekend Jack's family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the awesome news. Scientists from DPAA had used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis based on Tom’s donation.
On October 24, 2019, Jack was warmly welcomed home by a large and loving family; including one sister, Beverly Huff, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, including Tom McNeely (the only surviving relative to’ve known Jack). Two days later, on October 26th, PFC Burke was laid to rest at Catawba Memorial Park in Hickory, North Carolina with full military honors.
Marine Corps Reserve Private First Class John Taylor Burke is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PFC Burke's name shall remain permanently inscribed on Court 2 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate Jack has finally been found (56108738, a cenotaph).
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 19-083 (Oct. 1, 2019)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (United States Marine Corps POW/MIA Section), the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab, the DVA and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. “It takes a village!”
Born April 21, 1925 in Icard, North Carolina, John Taylor Burke was the only child blessed to the short union of Lloyd Ernest Burke and Miss Frances Mae Link.
"Jack" was raised in Burke and Catawba counties, beginning his education in Hildebran and finally enrolling in Newton-Conover High where he played football. It was during his time as a Red Devil that Jack met his sweetheart, Miss Lorene Davidson, whose friends and family enjoyed calling "Penny".
On August 29, 1942, the 72", 157 lbs, brown-eyed, black-haired 17-year-old took a trip to Raleigh and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Jack soon found himself on a long train ride west where he completed his training at Marine Corps Base, San Diego before shipping out into the Pacific Theater.
Private First Class Burke and his buddies enjoyed the sights, sounds and scenes of Wellington, New Zealand and awaited orders for his first mission. Always one to write home, Jack sent his love and laughter to all of his family and friends.
Private First Class Burke was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 8th Marines (B-1-8) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
It was November 21, 1943 (D+1 for the "Battle of Tarawa") when young Jack - just 18 years old - perished. His remains were initially recovered and buried on Betio - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his service and sacrifice, Jack's parents accepted his awards and decorations, including:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Campaign Medal
- Marine Corp Expeditionary Medal, and
- Gold Star Lapel Button.
Also left to mourn his passing were step parents, Thomas Underwood and Nora (McNeal) Burke; half-siblings, Vera (Chapman) McNeely, Fred Chapman, Winnifred (Chapman) Spencer, T.G. Underwood, Jr., Jean (Burke) Bloodworth, Darlene (Burke) Ward, Beverly Huff, Ken Burke and step-sister Lucille Drum.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio between 1946 and 1947, but PFC Burke’s remains were not identified. All of the remains found on Tarawa were sent to the Schofield Barracks Central Identification Laboratory for identification in 1947. The remains that had not been identified were interred as unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP, known as "the Punchbowl"), in Honolulu, including one set, designated as Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98. On October 13, 1949, the military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
In December of 2013, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found Jack’s surviving family and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's’s family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts, and offered them the opportunity to provide the Family Reference DNA Sample ultimately necessary for Jack's identification. Jean Bloodworth and her daughter Jill rallied the family and Jack's cousin, Daniel Burke, and nephew, Tom McNeely, sent in their DNA with prayers that one day Jack would be found.
On January 23, 2017, the Department of Veterans Affairs disinterred Tarawa UNKNOWN X-98 from the NMCP and turned them over to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for analysis.
On May 15, 2019, the DPAA officially identified PFC Burke and Memorial Day weekend Jack's family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the awesome news. Scientists from DPAA had used anthropological and chest radiograph comparison analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis based on Tom’s donation.
On October 24, 2019, Jack was warmly welcomed home by a large and loving family; including one sister, Beverly Huff, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, including Tom McNeely (the only surviving relative to’ve known Jack). Two days later, on October 26th, PFC Burke was laid to rest at Catawba Memorial Park in Hickory, North Carolina with full military honors.
Marine Corps Reserve Private First Class John Taylor Burke is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PFC Burke's name shall remain permanently inscribed on Court 2 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate Jack has finally been found (56108738, a cenotaph).
SOURCES
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 19-083 (Oct. 1, 2019)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (United States Marine Corps POW/MIA Section), the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab, the DVA and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. “It takes a village!”
Inscription
JOHN TAYLOR BURKE // PFC US MARINE CORPS // WORLD WAR II // APR 21 1925 NOV 21 1943 // PURPLE HEART // BATTLE OF TARAWA // WELCOME HOME JACK 2019
