Q U E S T I O N S
W I T H . . .
Captain Don Burke
U. S . NAVY ( R E T.) | CA P E H E NRY G R A NDPA R ENT Captain Burke served for over 27 years of combined active and reserve service in the US Navy. His assignments included sea duty, foreign shore and extensive Naval Special Warfare experience. Captain Burke first served as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer on a destroyer, and subsequently was Officer – In – Charge of various PT Boats, Riverine and Patrol Craft. He worked closely with the Republic Of Korea Marines in support of their combat operations in Vietnam. Additionally, he represented Naval Special Warfare Group Two as a Mission Planner and Staff Officer in major NATO Exercises in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. Captain Burke retired following his tour as Commanding Officer of Reserve Seal Team 8.
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You’ve attended all three of our Veterans Day Breakfasts for the past three years. Why do you think that it is important to carry on the tradition of this event? These events bring together multiple generations to honor service and sacrifice. It really is a bonding experience between the students with the older generations and enhances a shared patriotic spirit. CHC seems to do everything well, but these breakfasts have turned out to be particularly special.
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What advice would you have for a CHC student considering military service after graduation? CHC graduates going on to college should look into opportunities at the service academies such as the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Military Academy at West Point, or Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. These appointments require considerable lead time, so you cannot wait until your senior year to begin the process. Likewise, there are many ROTC and NROTC opportunities, including scholarships. Entering active duty as commissioned officers, young college graduates are given responsibilities and leadership training that is rarely available in the civilian world until much later in their careers. This early experience serves individuals very well regardless of their ultimate career directions.
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Given the proximity of the School to the world’s largest naval base, how do you think that has an impact on the CHC community? The CHC community, unlike most communities around the country, is afforded the opportunity to get to know the truly great Americans who have willingly stepped up to serve our country. We know them as family members, friends and neighbors, but they are much more and deserve our gratitude and respect.
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With your granddaughter, Mary, here as a Cape Henry student, what impressions do you hope she will have about the military that she will impart to her classmates? Mary’s entire family here in Virginia is military, obviously Navy, but also Army and Air Force. I hope that she shares with her classmates that these special people, through their actions, demonstrate love of country, sense of duty, honor and self sacrifice that go beyond normal citizenship.
As you look back at your 27 years of combined service, what moment or event stands out to you as being significant? As a “brand new” Ensign, I reported aboard my ship, a destroyer, which had already deployed for a six month Mediterranean cruise. It was summer, and we “manned the rails” in our white uniforms as we transited the Bosphorus Strait, the very narrow channel that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. At the narrowest point, we heard a honking car horn and saw young college-age people shouting to us while waving an American flag. It made me feel very proud to wear our country’s uniform overseas, and I have never forgotten that feeling.
C A P E H E N R Y C O L L E G I AT E . O R G
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