Injured soldier returns home
By: WROC-TV
Updated: March 1, 2008
He was injured in a gunfight with terrorists in Iraq earlier this month. Shot five times, his survival was deemed a miracle by many, but Army 1st Lieutenant Robert Burke is back home in Greece. It was February 1st in northern Iraq when Burke and five of his fellow soldiers were injured in an attack.
"We got a mission to go do a raid for some known terrorists that were actually responsible for an IED strike on a brigade commander's motorcade,” said Burke.
It was at that raid when terrorists opened fire on his platoon.
"They didn't aim at us; they stuck their weapons out the window and fired,” said Burke. Five rounds hit his body. Amazingly, Burke and the other soldiers injured all survived. The terrorists did not, that's something Burke says the Iraqis thanked them for.
"They know that we had killed two known terrorists and detained another one and just that in itself was enough for the people to realize the Americans are here to help out,” said Burke.
Burke says he received a lot of support while in Iraq, something every soldier counts on.
"All that is what makes a soldier fight its knowledge that the people at home realize that what they're doing in Iraq is for them, is for their freedom,” said Burke.
While he's home his mind and heart are with his fellow soldiers still overseas.
"There's not a second that goes by that I don't think about my guys,” said Burke.


