Zach Nunn: “Today a grateful Nation pays its final tribute to a true patriot and hero, Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, who died on Monday at…”

“Today a grateful Nation pays its final tribute to a true patriot and hero, Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, who died on Monday at the age of 94. Admiral Burke will be buried on the grounds of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he graduated in 1923. His service to the Nation will serve as a model to Academy graduates as well as all members of the Armed Forces for generations to come. Admiral Burke said he was attracted to the Navy because, in his words, the rules were 'strict, known and observed.' His adherence to the rules was a matter of personal honor, not bureaucratic timidity. When it came to strategy and tactics, he was a bold innovator. During World War II, he initiated dramatic changes in naval doctrine, developing and implementing tactics relying on the speed and maneuverability to destroyers armed with torpedoes to undertake offensive operations. Admiral Burke's Destroyer Squadron 23, known as the 'Little Beavers' compiled an outstanding combat record in the Pacific in 1943, which earned him the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Cross, and the Legion of Merit.”