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The Story of Peter Burks
Ever since he was little, Pete was serious minded but side-splittingly funny. He never claimed to be the greatest athlete in the world, but he would whip your butt with determination, physical strength and a “never give up” mentality. Pete was a leader and a teammate. He was President of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, at Texas A&M. He was involved in community service. He was involved in ministry. He loved people, especially those in need.
Pete joined the army upon graduation. He was given the Leadership Award and was platoon leader in basic training at Fort Benning. Two great comments were made about Pete in basic. The first was from a soldier that answered the phone once when I called to check on some paperwork for Pete. The soldier replied, “Oh, sir, you are Peter Burks’ dad? He is doing very well, sir. In fact, I tell you, I would follow that man into battle”. On graduation day from basic, one of his instructors said, “Sir, it’s a shame that Peter is going to be a commissioned officer. He would have made one damn fine drill sergeant.”
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 thought other 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 thousands of dollars in donations, most of which is used for postage to ship the goods into war zones. 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:
Sending care packages to soldiers.
This includes warriors on the battlefield, as well as those who support them like nurses and chaplains.
Providing humanitarian supplies for local citizens.
School supplies. Soccer balls. Clothing. Anything that can help to close the gap of understanding between their young people and us.
Someday, if these needs have been met and there is still money in the fund, we will use whatever is left to provide scholarships 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.
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