Louis E. “Lou” Burke Jr. was born on Oct. 4, 1916, in Holbrook, Arizona, the elder of two boys. In the early 1930s, Lou’s parents relocated their small family to Buffalo, New York, where Lou distinguished himself with gridiron exploits at Lafayette High. In 1935, Lou received appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he enhanced his reputation as a fine athlete, playing end on both offense and defense, including every minute of the midshipmen’s 10-0 win in the 1939 Army-Navy game. Lou began his Navy career as an engineering officer aboard USS Saratoga .

In mid-1941, while on shore leave in Honolulu, Lou met and fell in love with beautiful Ruth - nicknamed “Bunny” for her upturned nose - who had sailed to Hawaii on the steamship Lurline . The couple married the following April and l

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