When Ryan Burke was at Centreville High, he played defensive back for the Wildcats' 2000 State Championship football team. Now he's on another winning team, the U.S. Marines.
He's a lance corporal in the reserves — he was promoted on Family Day at Quantico, on March 11 — but his unit's been activated and he deployed last week to Iraq. Just 19, he's a light armored vehicle (LAV) driver for his platoon's vehicle commander.
Ryan is also the only child of Frank and Rosina Burke of Little Rocky Run. Dad served six years in the Marines and now owns a property-management company, and mom works for a health-insurance firm.
"He's a wonderful son," said Rosina Burke. "The last time we talked with him was last Wednesday, April 9, by telephone, from Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. He sounded ready to go. He said, 'I'm outta here.' He was eager to put to use everything he'd learned."
Ryan attended Union Mill Elementary and Rocky Run Middle, graduating from Centreville in 2001. His parents formed Centreville's ice hockey team when he was a sophomore, and he played on it for three years. He even made the Marine Corps' hockey team and was supposed to play the Washington Capitals' alumni in March, but headed overseas before he got the chance.
Burke describes him as a person who'll help anyone and is always there for his friends. "Our house was always the gathering place for his friends, especially the football team," she said. "And several of them have stopped by, while he's been gone, to make sure everything's OK."
Ryan went through boot camp plus infantry and LAV training with fellow Centreville grad, Sean O'Neill (see story, page 16). They met in high school and became friends, their senior year, and now they're both in the same company overseas. Ryan attended NOVA in Manassas and hopes to obtain a degree in administration of justice and someday go into the CIA, DEA, etc.
When Ryan graduated from boot camp, April 5, 2002, at Parris Island, S.C., he was his company's high shooter, receiving the Leatherneck Award and a marksmanship award for rifle achievement. Said his proud mom: "He was singled out for honor out of 356 people at his graduation."
But she admits to having mixed feelings about her child being in a war. "Every mother is afraid to put her son in harm's way," she said. "But I feel that these boys are well-trained, well-equipped and under a very good command. Everybody seems to know what they're doing."
Burke doesn't worry so much about big battles, she said, as much as she's apprehensive about "the small things — the sniper attacks and suicide bombers bother me a little more."
She does her best to stay positive, though. She watches news of the war on TV and says it's good to be able to see what's going on and it's actually been a comfort to her. Nonetheless, she added, "It would just be nice to know where Ryan is. We know he's out there someplace."