Peter had an incredibly large circle of friends and family that supported him throughout his time in the Army. Once he reached Iraq, that support was even more evident, through countless acts of love that kept that huge smile on his face. Pete quickly became the envy of mail call. In addition to letters, he received the treats from home that aren’t available in a war zone. The selfless person that he was, Pete immediately wanted to share this love and support with his men.

Shortly before he was killed, Pete sent his family and friends a list of the treats his guys missed the most. Snacks of all kinds. Video games. Gatorade. Clean socks. Music. Movies. Magazines. Books. The things that 20-30 year olds miss from home.

Pete also included some items that would be helpful for the local Iraqis. He was a warrior, but his heart was strongest weapon. He knew that making friends and helping those in need, especially the Iraqi children, could do more to solve our world’s problems than anything.

When Pete was killed, many people asked if we wanted flowers or a donation. With no more thought than, “How do we keep Pete’s legacy alive”, we created the Peter Burks Unsung Hero Fund.

The “Unsung Hero” represents Pete’s ambitions and those of the thousands like him that serve our country. They don’t look for glory - it finds them. Pete received the “Unsung Hero” award from his high school football coaches for his unselfish play and unwavering support of his teammates, so the fund name represents this side of our hero.

We are continuously overwhelmed by the generosity of people from around the world who have supported the fund thus far. We have received over $35,000 in cash donations. In addition, we have received thousands of dollars worth of donated goods from schools, corporations, and individuals.

The fund is managed by Alan Burks, Pete’s dad, and Missy Haddad, his fiancée. There are no administrative expenses or salaries paid. Every dollar spent from the fund goes directly to the following actions:

• Send care packages to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes warriors on the battlefield, as well as those who support them like nurses and chaplains.
• Provide humanitarian supplies for use in building connections with local citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan. School supplies. Soccer balls. Clothing. Anything that can help to close the gap of understanding between their young people and us.
• If someday the need downrange is over, and there is still money in the fund, we will use whatever funds are left to provide scholarship money for young people that want to learn from Pete and continue his legacy.

That’s it. Pete wanted to “take care of [his] guys” and “foment change in the world”. That’s what this fund is here to do, in his memory.

Read the testimonials.