The Arleigh Burke Honor Award

Dean Veremakis

On September 10, 1973 retired Admiral Arleigh Burke wrote a letter to the Commander, Naval Officer Training School, Newport, Rhode Island that discussed among other things his impressions of a graduating class of the Naval Women Officers’ School that he attended in 1969. He was impressed by their seriousness, appearance, their motivation and their intent to become the best naval officer they could be. He goes on to describe the genesis of the award that would be presented and bear his name.~ Unfortunately this letter signified the beginning of the end of the Arleigh Burke Honor Award.

Arleigh Burke was known affectionately as "31-Knot Burke" from his World War II exploits during the Battle of Cape St. George on November 26, 1944.2 Burke went on to become Chief of Staff to Admira! Marc A. Mitscher for the remainder of the war. His post-war assignments included working with Admiral Mitscher again as his Chief of Staff, Command of the Atlantic Fleet, and was one of the key individuals in the 1949 so-called revolt of the admirals?

Admiral Burke survived the "revolt" and when the Korean War broke out was asked by the then Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Forrest P. Sherman, to take over as Deputy Chief of Staff for Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy. Admiral Joy expressed a desire to have % senior officer with high-level combat experience to advise him and take charge of the headquarters’ wartime responsibilities" in Tokyo and Admiral Burke fit the bill. Admiral Burke’s assignments in Asia included a major role in establishing Japan’s reconstituted Navy and being a part of Admiral Joy’s team in negotiating an armistice with the North Koreans?

Admiral Burke returned to Washington to several other assignments in strategic planning and a final sea tour in 1954 as Commander of Cruiser Division 6.-s In the spring of 1954 Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gates tapped Admiral Burke to be the next Chief of Naval Operations.6 Admiral Burke served as Chief of Naval Operations for an unheard six years, and when,,o.n July 25, 196,!, he

formally retired from the Navy, 31 Knot Burke had served a total of 42 years as a naval omcer.7

In retirement Admiral Burke remained active giving speeches, accepting multiple corporate directorships,

¯ . part~mpatlng on various educational adwsory committees

and was a major catalyst in founding Georgetown’s Center for Strategic Studies.s

On June 16, 1967 a memorandum was sent to BUPERS

(PERS K) by Fran McKee, Officer-in-Charge, and WOS

referring to Admiral Burke’s "interest in establishing an

award for a deserving WAVE officer in each graduating

class." The memorandum refers to a proposal letter from

the Commanding Officer, OCS/NSC to BUPERS (PERS-

K) detailing the criteria and recommendations regarding

the Admiral’s proposed award. If the proposed award was

to be instituted, it would replace the school’s existing

honor award and restructure the remaining award system.

The proposal recommended:9

1] The honor award be made the "Admiral Arleigh Burke Honor Award" and presented to the WAVE graduate who earns the highest combined academic grade, and military grade, based on military performance and staff evaluations.

2] The award itself consists of a plaque with medallion, bearing the likeness of Admiral Burke, and a presentation plate for the recipient’s name, etc.

In February 1968, Alfredo Sciarrotta of Newport, Rhode Island was contacted regarding the proposed award and was commissioned to design and manufacture a "prototype" of the new award, l~ which was to be a medal.

However, it wasn’t until September 11, 1968, that Captain Lenihan met with Admiral Burke to show him Sciarrotta’s sketch (Figure 1) of the award. The meeting resulted in the Admiral approving the initial sketch and offering to pay for the die and first medal. He also expressed his desire to establish a fund that would be self-perpetuating to cover all costs for future awards. Captain Lenihan suggested that a citation/certificate would be appropriate to accompany the presentation of the award medal/2

On March 3, 1969, Captain Lenihan again met with Admiral Burke and he fully approved not only a sample of the medal but also a revised criterion for awarding the medal. At that time Admiral Burke also accepted an invitation to present the first award at the October 17, 1969 graduation ceremonies.~3

The final decision regarding the award retained the original title of the award and the modified the criteria (which appears to have been the wording to go on the certificates) for presentation of the medal which would be awarded 14

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Figure 1: Alfredo Sciarrotta’s initial sketch of the Arleigh Burke Honor Award.

Figure 2: Alfredo Sciarrotta’s final sketch of the Arleigh Burke Honor Award.

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to the student officer who, during the officer indoctrination training phase, has achieved academic pre-eminence and evidehced those qualities of

leadership best exemplified in her demonstrated mastery of the customs and traditions of the naval service, a person with the ability to inspire others by precept and example.

The final costs came out to be $3,500.00 for the die and $35.00 per medal plus $4.50 per medal for engraving.15 The final "production" medal adhered to the approved sketches (Figure 2) and arrangements were made for Admiral Burke to present the first award to the successful student from the October 1969 graduation class. Correspondence indicates that a certificate accompanied the presentation of the medal and was signed by Admiral Burke. The WOS supplied the certificate and supported the cost. 16

All was in order and the first Arleigh Burke Honor Award was presented to Ensign Mary E Anderson, USNR, in October 1969. However by February 1971 another change was made to the wording on the certificate which now read:*7

For presentation to the WAVE officer in each graduating class who has attained academic preeminence and has evidenced the highest qualities of naval leadership in her mastery of the customs and traditions of the naval service, in her outstanding personal example, and in her demonstrated ability to inspire others.

The Arleigh Burke Honor Award was presented 11 times through June 1973. Besides Ensign Anderson, the following female Naval Officers were presented with the award: is

October 1969 Ensign Mary F. Anderson, USNR Class W6903

February 1970 Ensign Janet N. Day, USNR Class W7001

June 1970 Ensign Margaret D. Beaver, USNR Class W7002

October 1970 Ensign Marlene Marlitt, USNR Class W7003

February 1971 Ensign Lisalee A. Wells, USNR Class W7101

June 1971 Ensign Judith B. Jenkins, USNR Class W7102

October 1971 Ensign Darlene R. Wekdler, USNR Class W7103

February 1972 Ensign Sally J. Mc Cabe, USNR Class W7201

June 1972 Ensign Linda M. Tornes, SC, USNR Class W7202

October 1972 Ensign Janet Dwire, USNR Class W7203

June 197319 Ensign Mary Jane Meroni, USNR Class W7303

Figure 3: Obverse of the Arleigh Burke Honor Award

(author’s collection).

The medal (Figure 3) was produced in 14-Kt gold and is made of two gold discs, one superimposed over the other. The obverse is made up of an inner 25mm disc that has the Naval Officer insignia engraved in the center with a double line ADMIRAL BURKE HONOR AWARD engraved directly below at the 6 o’clock point. All is surrounded by the engraved words U.S. NAVAL WOMEN OFFICERS SCHOOL HONDS EST NOBIS NAVALIS NAVARE. The inner disc is superimposed over a larger plain 33mm disc. Although the original design called for a rope to surround the outer disc, the final design wound up with twisted filigree around the circumference with a double integral loop at the top.

The reverse is plain except for a 14KT hallmark at the 6 o’clock position and all medals were engraved with the recipient’s class number, name, rank, USNR, and date. Figure 4 depicts the reverse and the engraving style used engraving, W7102//JUDITH B. JENKINS//ENS USNR//

18 JUNE 1971. The example shown is the medal presented to Ensign Jenkins. There was never any type of ribbon to go along with the medal, but because of the integral loop it was quite obviously intended to be worn most likely on a gold neck chain.

By 1971 the certificate underwent another wording change as seen in Figure 5. This example presented in 1971 reads:2°

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