The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Edmund Michael Burke, United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while executing an extremely difficult assignment during the invasion of Italy in World War II. With utter disregard for his own personal safety, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Burke carried out daring and intricate plans in the face of constant danger with brilliant success. His outstanding efficiency, extraordinary bravery and unswerving devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
NARRATIVE FOR AWARD:
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Burke acted as Executive Officer of the McGregor Project (code name) team, together with officers which carried on subversive work among Flag Officers of the Royal Italian Navy during the months of July, August and September 1943. He handled matters of great import in a manner which showed courage, competence, and complete devotion to duty. He showed a remarkable combination of courage and ingenuity in the planning and execution of this task, displaying sagacity beyond his years in developing strategy and participating in all phases of its execution. In the execution of this hazardous assignment he, on three different nights prior to D-Day during the month of August 943, assisted in the planning and participated in the landing of agents several hundred miles deep into enemy waters along the west coast of Italy from Terracina, South to Calabria. The parties were transported by PT boats from Palermo to pre-arranged pinpoints. In these operations, on moonless nights, the PT boats approached to within 200 or 300 yards of the enemy’s shore and agents were landed by rubber boat. German and Italian coast defenses swept every foot of this coastline, which was under a twenty-four hour alert as the enemy was readying for our invasion. The landings were carried out, successfully and undetected, although machine gun nests and pill boxes covered the first two pin points and the third was under beach patrol. During the months of July, August and September 1943, he nine different times was under severe bombing and shell and mortar fire in Palermo and Salerno and with the Allied Invasion Fleet off the beaches, south of Salerno/ He was a member of this party in Salerno whose objective was to contact the Italian Naval Headquarters in Salerno and Naples and through them to reach various Italian Flag Officers. During this period he, working against time, against odds, and against handicaps, almost insuperable in nature, carried out the details of his duty in a most effective manner. At one point when given the opportunity to leave Salerno which through enemy shelling and mortar fire was becoming a virtual death trap, he decided to stay on, stating the simple fact that he was needed to complete the job. When it was necessary to leave Salerno to rejoin the Invasion Fleet, although the sea approaches to Salerno Harbor were under direct fire of enemy guns in the hills overlooking Salerno Bay, he assisted in evacuating the party. In the evacuation from Salerno under emergency circumstances a first attempt was made to leave the city by means of a small British Landing Craft (LCM). As the LCM attempted to leave the harbor, several salvos from the enemy artillery in the hills were laid down before the craft and she was forced to return to the comparative safety of anchorage in the inner-harbor. The city of Salerno and the harbor area were under artillery and mortar fire all during this time. The party then proceeded to the end of the outer mole which extended three-quarters of a mile into the harbor. The enemy in the hills spotted the group and laid down several salvos of artillery fire. He displayed extraordinary heroism and a conspicuous devotion to duty in the fulfillment of this mission. His efficient and utter disregard for his own personal safety exhibited a courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.