SOLDIER SPEEDS RETURN HOME BY NOVEL METHOD
Boat rides these days for service men overseas come hard, but one Sioux Cityan speeded his return. When it seemed that Robert E. Burke, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Burke, 2425 Fifth street, wouldn’t get home very soon with his Army outfit even though he had the required points for discharge, he requested his discharge from the Army in Manila.
When he was able to show evidence that he could get a job there, Burke’s discharge was granted on October 29, 1945. He then signed for his new job—as crew member of a ship in the merchant marine, and he was soon homeward bound. He was discharged from the merchant marine upon arrival in San Francisco on January 29.
Burke took no chances when he signed over to the merchant marine. His enlistment papers stated that he would serve until such time as his ship reached a United States port of for a period not to exceed four months.
He served overseas from July, 1943, and has four campaign stars from battles in the Philippines and New Guinea. He spent three years in the service after being graduated from Central high school in 1942.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, February 20, 1946
