[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 123 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF CORPORAL EDMUND ``ED'' BURKE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. HIMES

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 17, 2025

  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of 
Corporal Edmund ``Ed'' Burke of Wilton, Connecticut who will celebrate 
his 100th birthday next week.
  Born and raised in the Bronx, he attended Fordham Prep High School 
and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944. Just eighteen at the time, 
Corporal Burke reported for basic training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia 
without hesitation, knowing his call to serve came when his country 
needed him most.
  Assigned to the Seventh Armored Division, he was an Infantry Machine 
Gunner in the European theatre of World War II. He saw action at the 
Battle of the Bulge, where his division took over 100,000 German 
prisoners, with Corporal Burke personally capturing enemy soldiers. His 
bravery earned him multiple commendations, including: a Bronze Star, 
the Purple Heart, ETO ribbon with four battle stars, Presidential Unit 
Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, Belgian Fourregiare, and the 
Combat Infantry Badge.
  After receiving an honorable discharge in 1946, Corporal Burke 
pursued engineering degrees on the G.I. Bill, first at Manhattan 
College where he earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering, later at 
Columbia University, where he completed his Masters in the same field. 
Throughout his tenure as an engineer, Corporal Burke would join the New 
York State Department of Public Works, as well as Corbett, Tinghir & 
Co. Engineers, ending his career as a partner at Moran, Proctor, 
Mueser, and Rutledge. There, he was renowned for meticulously and 
thoughtfully applying his expertise in foundational engineering to the 
projects on which he worked, including over one hundred sites right 
here in Washington, D.C.
  Corporal Burke's life stands as an all-American success story, one 
which we would all do well to share with our constituents as a model of 
how service, hard work, and patriotism come together to form a life 
well-led. On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ed Burke for his service, 
our congratulations on reaching this milestone in a full life, and a 
sincere happy birthday. May this be his best one yet.

                          ____________________